Aether Winds
by Silver IceWind
Summary: It all started out with some simple wishing... Now Kel and Joren are stuck in a whole new world, while war is brewing in Tortall with only them being able to help!
1. Phantasia

Aether Winds

Chapter one- Phantasia

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

Hmmm…. The name I got for the chapter *points up above* is kinda strange lol. I just thought of it *blinks* I don't even know its it's a real words, oh well. *chuckles* Please tell me any mistakes I might have on my stories, this series right now will probably be long… ^.^ hehe. The chapters might have long intervals between them, one because I'm lazy, two because of school, and three I'd probably run out of ideas on what to do.

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Important: Whom do you want Kel to end up with? Joren or Dom? *coughs* and no its only them, no Roald, Neal, or Cleon please. Right now I'm leaning more towards Joren…. ^.~ Can you blame me?

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She was there, yet at the same time wasn't there, without a seconds thought she gave up trying to understand, she let it embrace her and let it begin…

She couldn't see anything before her as she blindly ran. The sounds behind her were lessening, the screams and howls of others echoing after her. She didn't, couldn't, remember what was happening, all she knew was to run, and run fast. Her breath came out in heavy gasps as she forced her weakened legs to pump harder. She didn't know where she was going, only one thing flashed through her mind, to run away. A fall, she stumbled over roots and rocks through the darkness, getting up with a choked sound and a yank to get her skirts free before continuing with her flight. Unheeded, hot, heavy, tears dripped down from her eyes, to drop like crystals to the ground…

A light, she jerked her head up frightened, body shuddering slightly. It sang in her very body and beckoned to her enticingly, just out of reach. Without a seconds thought she plunged into some brush over to the light. The branches tearing rents into her dress. The light glowed steadily, not like some flickering torch. She burst into a small clearing and immediately stopped in her tracks, chest heaving heavily, sweat mingled with tears dripping down the side of her face to fall unto the ground.

In the middle of the clearing was some sort of stone altar. Made completely out of stone, it stood there. With a start she realized that it was only one piece of stone, not made with smaller pieces melted together. It stood out boldly, daringly. The altar had some moss growing at its base and looked ancient, though it did not even have a chip broken off. Broad flat stones, sunk into the earth, with words inscribed on them encircled the altar, written in a language unknown to the girl. On top of the altar was a glowing crystal. It was of the purest white and the shape and size of a tear. It seemed to glow in the inside and flickered slightly. With surprise the girl noticed that it didn't rest on the altar, rather, above it. The orb hovered several inches from the top of the altar and glowed softly.

A crash, the sound of feet running, she whirled around from the sight before her to look back at the brush. A look of fear crossed her face as she listened and heard the sound of people running, getting closer to her. She looked around widely, searching for a way, any way, out and away from them, those after her. Panic crossed her face as the sound got louder, then she locked eyes with the crystal. It hovered there and glowed… that's all it did… a thought crossed her mind, "how come nobody spotted this before?" The thought suddenly disappeared like wind had sweeped across her mind. She paused for a moment before walking as in a trance like state towards the crystal, eyes locked onto it, thoughts disappearing. An owl hooted from up above, breaking through to her, she stopped abruptly and shook her head, eyes full of confusion. The girl took a step back, chilled and frightened, but the sound of footsteps came louder, to loud. She locked her eyes back onto the crystal, somehow realizing this was the only way out… away… With brisk steps she reached the altar and gently closed her hand over the crystal.

It blinded her, she couldn't see anything, but the bright white light engulfing her. Panic appeared in her mind for a moment before she forced herself, for about the first time that night, to think rationally. "I accepted it, so I will accept whatever fate this crystal will do to me." At that she closed her eyes, opening them when the footsteps were right upon her. She stared into the frightened faces of her parents, each one panic stricken, both covered in light wounds. "NO!" she screamed when she realized her mistake, what she thought was following her was in actuality her parents, she thought fiercely at the crystal, "Let me go! Let me go to them!," but it was to late…

She saw her mother form a tearful protest at what force was pulling at her, her father silent, but a look of grief settling over his features. She opened her mouth to cry out to them… but the force was to strong, pulling her. She flickered in front of her parents before vanishing right before their eyes. A wordless scream echoing throughout the air. 

Her mouth was in the form of a silent scream as she woke up from the intense dream. Keladry of Mindelan, otherwise known as Kel, sat up in her bed, her mind racing and her chest heaving as if she had just ran up the entire hill, at top speed, that the training master, Lord Wyldon made them jog up. With a start she found out she couldn't remember what had woken her up and made her frightened like this, she racked through her mind, desperately trying to remember. For some reason it was important for her to know what had happened and with a tired sigh she found that she couldn't remember any of it except for a tear shaped, glowing white crystal. 

Kel gave a growl of frustration, running one hand through her short mahogany brown hair, her hazel eyes staring at the wall like it was a legendary object, something to be scrutinized, like the Dominion Jewel. She gave a slight frown thinking to herself, _I've had dreams like this all week, all having to do with some crystal and me never remembering the rest, what does this all mean?_ She was thrown out from her thoughts by a grunt and a soft snore, next to her bed. She leaned over and found her dog, Jump, sleeping on his back and snoring, with a sigh she reached down and pushed him until he was lying back on his side. Before when she was a page she had figured out that Jump only snored when sleeping on his back, now that she was 18 and a knight, Jump was getting older, and more tired. _Everything is changing, it seems, except for me… how frustrating._ With another sigh she realized that she wouldn't get back to sleep again so she get out of her bed and stepped silently onto the floor. Something fell off her, glinting, onto the now vacant bed, and rested there shining softly in the dark.

Kel, interest piqued stooped over and picked it up. With a startled gasp she started into the palm of her hand, trembling slightly, uncertain of what it meant. One slight tear shaped crystal laid in the palm of her hand, perfectly white and in every way the same as it had been in her last dream. She held it up to the moonlight, now curious, and studied it carefully. Her mind babbled to herself,_ When… how…? I thought they were only dreams!_ Hazel brown eyes were widened and shock emanated from them, her mouth formed one word and breathed it out softly into the air, "Goddess…" 

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A/N:

I think that I should stop it right here… *grins* Short I know, but the next chapters, I promise, will be longer then this one. I'm very detail oriented as you have seen up above *points and chuckles* I hoped you like the first chapter of Aether Winds and will come back to read some more! ^_^ Remember to REVIEW and tell me who you want Kel to end up with, Joren or Dom. I can't promise you which it will be, but… *shrugs*

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a lolly *hands person a lolly*


	2. Changing Times

Aether Winds

Chapter two- Changing Times

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

It takes me some time to set up stories and get it to good parts *shrugs* but I'm trying for this story to get through the early explanations and things fast. 

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Important: Whom do you want Kel to end up with? Joren or Dom? *coughs* and no its only them, no Roald, Neal, or Cleon please. Right now I'm leaning more towards Joren…. ^. ~ Can you blame me? More people seem to want to have Joren anyway, sooooo… *grins* 

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Kel clutched the crystal in her hand, eyes confused and slightly frightened. Sound of chirping filled her ears, breaking her out of her reverie, and she glanced out of her window. Several sparrows chirped and watched her with expectfull eyes, waiting for her to stop what she's doing and feed them. With a start, Kel realized that it was already morning, and that she should start her morning routine. She gave a groan and decided to get up and start her day instead of wondering about things which she doesn't have the first clue about. 

She grabbed some spare bread she took last night and opened the window. Several sparrows flew in, scattering throughout the room, each one waiting patiently. She gave them their breakfast and started to get ready to start the day, nudging Jump with one foot as she was doing so. Kel frowned at the sleeping dog and nudged him harder until he woke up. With a smile she started to whistle softly, glancing back at the crystal, thinking to herself that she should bring it with her, _but it would probably get lost._

Suddenly a soft glow effused over a nearby silver necklace on her drawer and it floated up towards Kel. She blinked and gave a soft yelp, falling back a couple of steps and letting go of the crystal. The crystal formed into a small pendant and attached itself to the necklace before floating before Kel and stopping in front of her. Kel reached out with a shaky hand, but the necklace ignored it and flew off to attach itself around Kel's neck. She stood still for a moment wondering if it would choke her to death to, but it seemed to stop moving.

"Goddess… this day is getting weirder and weirder," the bells chimed several times, Kel absently listened to it before yelling, "DAMN it is NOT my day!" At that she forgot all about her necklace and ran out of her room, grabbing her practice glaive and muttering under her breath. She raced towards the practice yards and reached it, stopping by the fence and breathing heavily, looking around and silently hoping they would be late also.

A las… it was not meant to be… a hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, there Neal, Cleon, and Owen stood with their practice swords, all three of them smirking and slightly sweaty. Neal snickers, "Aww Kel, where were you? I mean, you're the one ALWAYS going on about how we're ALWAYS late." 

Kel stood there blushing lightly, fiddling with her practice glaive, while looking at them all.

Cleon drew closer and looked at her face closely, "Wait! By the gods! Kel is BLUSHING!" he starts to laugh hard. Neal and Owen look at each other then Kel more closely, Owen grinned, "Now that's something I'd never thought I'd see." 

Kel gave them all a scowl, putting on her Yamani 'lump' face, "Say that to me while we're fighting."

Neal eyed her and gulped quietly, "ehhhhh….."

Owen patted his shoulder kindly, "As I have said before, its good knowing ya." Cleon started laughing again in the background, mimicking Owen's movement and patting Neal's other shoulder, "Yeah, when Kel gets mad, she gets MAD."

Kel glared at them both, "I was talking to all of you." She laughed silently to herself at the now awakened, panicked expression on her friend's faces. She gives a smirk and points her practice glaive at Neal, "Your funeral first."

~

She wiped a hand across her sweaty face and looked at her now totally exhausted friends, "Finished already?" Kel gave a smirk, and refused to show how tired she really was from beating the three knights in a row.

A mocking voice from nearby cut short any of their replies, "The fool three-o got beaten by the girl again? No wonder they're only considered second rate knights in court." Joren of Stone Mountain came into view and leaned casually against the fence, obviously finished with training himself, by the sweat on his clothes. 

With pale blond hair cut to his ears and light blue eyes, he was considered one of the handsomest men at court._ Even after a tiring fight he looks good,_ Kel thought to herself, _though it's too bad it doesn't change his attitude._ She scowled at him, pushing her hair away from her eyes, "What do you want Stone?"

Over the years Joren and Kel had come to some kind of an unwritten agreement. He doesn't try to beat her up or do anymore childish tricks anymore as long as she stayed away from him, not to mention that the tricks usually don't work. Kel wholeheartedly agreed to this and avoided him as much as possible. Now they only met by accident and after exchanging a few insults they moved on, ignoring the other once more. 

Joren eyed her for a moment, smirking as he saw that he was making her uncomfortable with his scrutiny. He ignored the other three knights who were listening in and said to Kel, "Well lump, the king wants to see us both…" he paused for a second then added in, "and no I do not know for what, so hurry up and get changed. Don't want to be late. " With that he turned on his heals and headed for his room to get changed, frowning to himself in thought. 

Kel stared at the spot he had been in surprise, she says in a slightly high voice, "The king wants to see me? _Now_?!" She yelped, "I can't be late for this!" and left at a dead run once again, leaving three surprised knights at her wake. 

Neal watched her go and turned to empty place Joren had once stood, saying belatedly and indignantly, "Stone! We are NOT second rate knights!"

Cleon blinked and muttered, "Wonder what the king wants." 

Owen scratched his head, confused, before finally saying, "We look like bloody idiots standing around, lets pounce on Kel afterwards to see what the king said, and Neal…"

Neal turned to look at him, his emerald green eyes questioning, "What?"

"Next time you tell Joren off," Owen paused, his eyes glittering with amusement, "Do it to his face." 

Cleon started to laugh while Neal sputtered, annoyed. Neal then hit Cleon on the arm with a scowl, "I'd like to see you make Joren mad and tell him off." Cleon paled slightly and stuttered some excuses.

Owen, watching them with a slight grin, answering for Cleon, "And get him mad at us all? You know he'd be able to murder us without blinking, and with us unable to stop him," he gave a soft sigh, "He and Kel are the top two knights I know, as much as I hate to admit it about Joren. Come on, we'll go bother Kel later." He started to walk back to the palace.

Neal ran after him yelling, "When did YOU suddenly become all sensible? You're like Kel!"

Cleon grinned and just followed his two friends. 

~

Kel fingered her crystal necklace as she walked, not ran, towards the throne room where she would meet King Jonathan. She might be a little late, but she refused to look like she rushed to get there, _though I did to get ready_. 

Kel had decided to serve the crown and its monarchs to the best of her abilities even though she still bore a slight grudge against the king for making her take the probation year. But she doesn't usually show her grudge and if she could save the kings life, even if she gave up her own, she would do it without thinking twice about it. She does this because of her duty; the king knows and respects that, though he still wished to win her over to his side. 

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Something which will not likely happen, she reflected to herself as she reached the doors to the throne room, next to them Joren was standing, looking as calm and perfect as usual. She walked over to him, smoothing down her tunic while doing so, and looked at him questionably.

He turned to her and smirked, "Lump…"

Kel interrupted with a cross glare at him, "Don't call me that Joren."

Joren appraised her with his eyes, arms crossed and he leaned casually against the door frame, "And why not… Lump?" His mouth tilted up to one side.

She glared at him, ignoring the strange glances she was getting from the footman. _Definitely mocking me…_ and says warningly, "Stone…"

The doors moved swiftly to allow them in, cutting Kel's words off. The footman went in to announce their presence to the monarchs; King Jonathan and Queen Thayet, everything running according to protocol. Kel hastily checked herself over to make sure nothing was amiss and followed Joren inside the room and there they both bowed to the Jonathan and Thayet. 

As they both straightened Joren abruptly said to the majesties, "Why did you call me?" His eyes betrayed his impatience with them all. 

Kel gaped at his audacity, nobody speaks that way to the king and queen, it wasn't… proper nor right. 

Jonathan raised one brow up at Joren's question, not angry, just amused with what he said. Thayet, his queen, just smiled, as amused as her husband was. They were known as the best looking couple in the land, though it was apparent why. With Jonathan's black hair and sapphire blue eyes many ladies chase after him, even though he has a queen, and with Thayet's beautiful body, face, and mind, she was said to be the most beautiful in the land. Jonathan looked at both Keladry and Joren, choosing his words with care, "I have decided to send two of our best knights out to Scanra. There you two will become our…" he stopped, thinking about what to say, "representatives to their court." He watched the two knights to see their reactions. 

Kel's eyes widened, _I'm going to Scanra?_, suddenly another thought flashed to her mind, _I'm one of his best knights????_, she noticed the king look at her particularly closely, and she put on her Yamani face on, washing all emotions away. 

Joren's face held nothing for anyone to see, he just nodded to Jonathan and Thayet, accepting his mission. Only his eyes betrayed something, and they were filled with contempt as they glanced at Keladry. 

Jonathan watched his two knights carefully, looking for any signs of weakness in them, he finally nodded when he saw that they were accepting the news and went on, "You will carry this.." He nods towards a servant which brought up to Joren a letter, "and hand it to their king." He said with finality, "We want peace between us, but I also want you two to watch. You are dismissed." He waved a hand casually at them. 

Joren and Kel both knew what he meant by that, be careful when you spy on the Scanrans… if caught he would deny all claims to making his two knights do the work, it was just how these things went. The two both bowed once more before exiting the room, each one thinking about the trip. 

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A/N:

Remember to REVIEW!!! I hope you guys like the second chapter… errr it's not the greatest, I know, but I need to get this story moving faster.

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a lolly *hands person a lolly*


	3. If Looks Could Kill

Aether Winds

Chapter three- If Looks Could Kill

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

^.^ ok ok Icey, you gotta do better and write longer! I know you can! (talking to myself…again lol) Errr… thanks everyone who reviewed *pouts* but I'd like A LOT MORE! Hehe ^.~ what author wouldn't want some more anyway? 

To everyone that reviewed: Jarna hill, Squire Kali, Danika, Xelena, hyperchick88, whoever Shy is lol, and FantasyLover THANKS A LOT! You'd think people know how nice it feels to authors if they review, it encourages us lol. ^.^ (hint hint: that means more people should review)

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Kel stares blankly into a glass full of amber wine, bored out of her skull, _somehow I imagined this more… exciting somehow_, she sighs and gives a glance around the room. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the king of Scanra, King Balor talking with one of his councilors, _nothing exciting there,_ and continued on. Kel saw Joren flirting with all the court beauties next, and she felt annoyed at him, _he isn't even TRYING to find out what the Scanrans are doing! All he does is FLIRT all day with anyone who walks in court with a skirt! We are on a mission to find out what the Scanrans are up to and haven't found anything out yet and we've been here for a week already. _She glared at him for a while, not knowing that she was until she saw him look at her with a smirk and wink right at her, at that she quickly adverted her eyes, slightly embarrassed, _I'm not going to get anything done like this_. She casually glanced back at the king who was still talking to his number one councilor, Radock, _nice guy, I was surprised about that when I met him, I pictured the Scanrans to be more… evil._

He was fairly young, to young really to be the king's first councilor, and had ebony black hair with piercing dark blue eyes. Kel had found out before that he had arrived just about 3 years ago and risen quickly through the ranks to land him the position of the king's advisor, _quite an accomplishment_. She didn't think that he had a menacing bone in his body, he was unfailing polite and courteous even to the two Tortallan knights visiting the court, _nothing to worry about him, Darial is another matter though_. Darial was the king's weapon master and she always sees them together, yet he isn't even that high ranked. _Very suspicious_ flashed through her mind when she first saw that. 

A voice disrupted her thoughts and she saw Radock holding out his hand to her, seeing her confused look he repeated his question, a smile on his face, "Care to dance Ms. Mindelan? Or is it Sir Mindelan?" a genuine questioning look in his eyes appeared and Kel took no offense at the question. 

"It's technically Sir Mindelan, your grace, and I don't know, I'm not that good at dancing. " Really, all she wanted to do was keep an eye on the king and other key figures in court, not dance like some lady. That's why she didn't wear a dress, instead she wore dress pants and a shirt, signaling that she wasn't some lady, but a knight from Tortall. As she very subtly tried to find a way to walk away, her teardrop gem glinted softly in the light sparkling brilliantly. 

His eyes turned to the gem, and became riveted on the piece of jewelry. An interested look came over him, "I never knew that knights wore jewelry, and please, just Radock," he smiled charmingly at her adding in, "Sir Mindelan. Please dance with me?" at that he took her hand and kissed it lightly.

Keladry gave a silent sigh to the air, and looked into Radock's dark blue eyes, she glanced down at her hand, _is he holding it longer then necessary?_ She gives another mental sigh, _figures that I wouldn't know, not used to girl stuff._ She regained her composure, "Usually not… Radock, this piece is… of a sentimental value, and please call me Kel or Keladry." _Damn protocol for making me give him leave to use my first name in return, good manners, blah who needs them? _With a sigh she gave a nod in assent for the dance, _hopefully I can get some information from him._

Radock gave a smile and pulled her out into the dance floor, ignoring the looks his fellow Scanrans gave his and Kel's way. They started to talk about miscellaneous things; Kel kept trying to steer him into things, which might benefit Tortall without seeming to be pumping him for information. Sadly, he seemed to be evading her questions rather well, _either he's smarter then he looks or he doesn't get it_. Before long she began to get bored, wishing that this dance would end, and soon, or someone would come and get her away from Radock, who was currently trying to flirt with her. 

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Joren glanced up casually, flashing a lazy smile at the beautiful vixen of a woman who was clutching his arm, his eyes scan quickly around the room before settling on the dancing pair of Radock and Keladry. Annoyance flashed through his eyes, _we are on a mission and she's dancing with some guy, unreliable,_ and he looked back at the woman, saying suavely, "Well my dear I have to go."

She pouted and brushed against him lightly, trying to persuade him to stay a bit longer with a show of some more of her cleavage through the low cut dress. Her eyes looked up at him with promise.

He tried to contain his annoyance, _one, she doesn't have enough brains in her head to figure out who the current king is, much less know about court intrigue; usually I like women like that, but its getting tedious and I'm on a mission. Two I have to get Mindelan to concentrate on the mission herself and to stop flirting with Radock._ He straightened and disengaged his arm from her, ignoring her frustrated look. Joren then glanced around the room until he spotted Kel again and walked briskly towards her. 

~

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When is this song going to END???? Kel was the embodiment of boredom, no matter how good looking Radock was he apparently couldn't carry a conversation off the topic of himself, and she was extremely bored, not to mention sore-footed. Radock was evidently NOT a good dancer and had stepped on her foot several times. She glanced around impatiently at the room when suddenly Radock stopped dancing, she turned back to him with a questioning look until she saw Joren standing next to them looking slightly agitated. 

She flashed a grateful smile at him, forgetting that they were enemies for the moment, and asked casually, since Radock was still standing with her, "Hey Stone, what do you want?"

Joren was looking at her and Radock, and luckily remembered his manners, sort of anyway. He glared at Kel and asked abruptly, "Can I have this dance?" He gave a dismissive glance at Radock, impatient to talk to Kel.

Kel looked at him surprised, but not going to let this opportunity to get away from Radock slip away. She quickly gave a nod, answering, "Yes you can." And slipped away from Radock, with him still sputtering some words, trying to think of excuses to get Kel to stay with him. She took Joren's hand and started to dance with him, Kel opened her mouth to start to thank him for getting her away when Joren abruptly said.

"Mindelan you are of no use to me. You are not thinking about the mission and all you are doing is flirting with Radock, what kind of knight are you anyway?"

Kel's eyes flashed with anger, all her good will towards Joren quickly evaporating, "WHAT??? ME? You're the one flirting with every court lady we see! I'm the one doing the mission! I'm trying to get information out of Radock, need I remind you, a high-ranking official?"

Joren glared at her, "Yes you! And I am not exactly flirting! Even and idiot like YOU should know that the ladies are the ones with the information about the going on's in court!" he sneered slightly, "Of course you wouldn't know that considering you practically are a man yourself, by how you act and dress."

She bit the bottom of her lip, chanting to herslef, _be like stone… the HELL with it!_ At that she loosed herself from Joren's grip and slapped him hard, hissing at him softly, "Shut up Joren, you pig headed ass, what would you know anyway?" At that she spun on her heal and walked out of the room, unmindful of the disapproving eyes of Scanrans court, especially Radock's and Darial, who had just walked in to see the last part happening. 

He stood still for a second, trembling with rage, finally he to turned and walked out of the room, fuming silently to himself, glaring at anyone nearby him. 

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A/N:

IceWind: AHH! I'm SOWWY! It's not as long as my other chapter *pouts* I just have NO time! SCHOOL SUCKS! *giggles* anyway, review please.

Kaori: *A small white fluffy bunny-like creature hopped up, its ears were longer and she was slightly bigger then normal rabbits, not to mention she had cute white sparkly wings, out of her back, she flew up to IceWind* YOU STINK!

IceWind: *gasps in indignation* KAORI!!!!!!! *starts to chase her* IM NOT THAT BAD!

Kaori: *she dives under IceWind, making her fall over* Suuuurrrreeee WE believe you *winks at the readers*

IceWind: *she gets up, her face red with embarrassment* I will now introduce to you Kaori, a NOSY, RUDE, rabblite from Mt. Koku. 

Kaori: *gives a rather loud growl for such a small creature and speeds at IceWind, knocking her over. Fighting ensues, hair and fur flying everywhere*

Raen: *a black, graceful, cat-like creature came up, he looked like a giant cat only with a white gem in the middle of his head, his ears were longer, and his body was more graceful and lithe. He coughs politely to the readers, away from the fighting* I am sorry, but they get that way sometimes, I'm Raen, a hizar, nice to meet all of you. *a sweatdrop appears as IceWind holds up Kaori by her neck, cackling loudly* As you see I have to stop them from killing each other so good day! *at that he bounds towards them both, muttering under his breath*

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a lolly *hands person a lolly*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. BYE NOW! 


	4. Ice Deluge

Aether Winds

Chapter four- Ice Deluge

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

Lalala… err yeah the story…….. errr ^.^ ummmm… ok! (im weird I know) I have the entire thing planned out! O.o; that's very very uncommon for me!

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She stormed into her room, muttering unpleasant things under her breath about a certain blond hair blue eyed knight. _Really, what do I care anyway? Joren is Joren, he won't change_, even as she told herself that Kel continued to silently fume, _I'll show him… I'll show everyone who thinks that females shouldn't be knights a thing or two._ She sighed softly and lied down on her bed, _I'll just think about the mission, and find out what these Scanran's are up to. They are incredibly close-mouthed though, funny._ Her head jerked up at a knock at her door and she grumbled to herself as she made herself get up and open it. There stood Radock with concern in his eyes.

"Keladry?" he looked at her with worry, "are you ok?"

Kel gave a silent sigh, she really didn't want to deal with Radock right now, and replied calmly, her yamani face on, "Of course, me and my colleague just got into minor disagreement."

"Minor? That didn't seem minor to me, what were you arguing about? Maybe I can help."

"Nothing to concern you with Radock," Kel's eyes were stern as she looked at him, "It was nothing really."

He seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking up once again, "Are you sure?"

Kel began to get annoyed, she was tired, annoyed, and mad and HE kept asking her questions! She replied stiffly, "Yes I am perfectly sure, now please I'm tired."

Radock looked slightly startled then nodded, "Yes, of course Keladry, I shall take my leave." At that he left her door and walked towards his room.

She sighed out loud and closed the door, a bell tolled in the distance, signaling the time, "Damn!" she cursed when she stubbed her foot, getting changed to go to sleep. A few minutes later she fell down onto her bed, pulled up the blankets and fell asleep, the gem still around her neck.

~

"Not again," she groaned somehow realizing that this was another dream of hers, "I thought they went away after I got this gem!" 

Her thoughts took a different direction as the dream fully encompassed her. Kel sighed and let it, unable to do anything else.

__

It was dark. Too dark, she couldn't see anything. 

Panic, darkness, unable to do anything.

Trapped, in an abyss of coldness.

Light, shining distantly in the tunnel.

Kel jerked her head up at the light, sensing warmness, goodness, she ran over to it, faster and faster. But the light… it stayed away, far away. "What's wrong?" her mind whispered, straining still to reach the light.

Demons emerged, hands outstretched, trying to grab her, trap her, hurt her, kill her. 

She opened her mouth and screamed… but no noise came out.

Tripped.

She fell onto her knees, hands covering her face, trying to fend off the demons of the dark.

A hand, stretching out towards her.

A voice, soothing and calling.

She reached, with her entire being, and grabbed the hand, a voice whispered to her, "Run, I'll help you, it won't stay away now."

Kel ran towards the light once again, the tunnel brightening as she does, the light getting closer this time, she smiles.

Grabs her, a demon, just before the light. She screams for help.

The presence, the one who helped her, ran out and started to battle the demon.

She watched helplessly, waiting to see who won…

~

Kel awoke gasping. She had her eyes open with fright, her thoughts whirling around inside her head. Never before had she received a dream such as that one and she was scared, scared of what might come and what might happen. With a scowl she strove to ignore what she felt, _I'm no coward. _The morning bells rung loudly, signaling people to wake up and start the day. With a start she remembered what she was meaning to do, and got out of the bed, hurriedly changing. When she was done she grabbed her glaive and made her way towards the training grounds.

~

She arrived and looked around, of course, only men were there, practicing their weapon maneuvers. Some straightened when they saw her, curious and feeling superior to the girl. Kel ignored them all and started towards a practice dummy, her glaive held loosely in her hands. 

A tall, broad shouldered man winks at his buddies and starts towards the girl, holding his sword in his hand. He blocked her way and asked teasingly, "Now why are you, fair lady, here?" 

Kel looked at the man, and sighed, annoyed. She says calmly, waiting to see their reactions, "I am no fair lady, I am a knight of Tortall and I am here to practice, now if you please. Excuse me," with that she pushed past the man towards her chosen practice dummy.

He reached out and grabbed her arm, sneering down at her, "Well in Scanra we don't let weak women become knights! How weak of a king is King Jonathon for doing that?" His buddies snicker and nudge each other, coming closer towards their friend and the woman. 

One of them called out with a smirk, "Hey Terry! Go and show this," says it sarcastically, "'knight' what Scanran's can do to their weak woman!"

Kel could feel her anger mounting, not only did they insult her, but they also insulted her king, and that she could not let them do. With an icy voice she said softly, "I challenge you to a duel for insults against me and my king."

The man, Terry, laughed loudly to his friends and said mockingly, "I don't think so, I might hurt you to much and send you crying back to Tortall."

She clenched her fists and slapped him, a smirk lingering on her face, "Once again I challenge you, if you don't accept you are an unhonorable cur." _Really, all it seems that I have been doing is slapping people in Scanra_

Terry narrowed his eyes; ears acutely aware of his friend's calls to fight the wrench and show her what Scanran's can do to weak Tortall knights. His lips curl up into a sneer and he says bitingly, "I accept wrench."

"Since I challenged you, what are the terms of the battle?"

"One on one, use any weapon you like wrench, it won't matter. 10 gold nobles to the winner."

"Agreed," with that Kel moved over to the dueling grounds, the men formed a circle around her and Terry, watching and waiting. She stood there confidently and said, "I'll use my glaive as my weapon of choice." She swung it around slightly and then moved to the side to warm up for the duel, doing her stretches, ect. Her face was emotionless, getting ready.

Terry sneered at her and did the same, though not as much as a person would usually do to warm up, being confident that he would win.

They both finished and rised facing each other, Terry had his sword out, while Kel had her glaive. He charged at her, his sword slashing down in a crescent. She stolidly pushed her glaive's blade up to counter his, and held it there. He looked surprised at the strength she was showing, him unable to push his sword down further, with a scowl he returned and lunged at her. Kel parried the sword with ease and darted in with her glaive, slashing at his chest. The only thing that saved him from losing was a frantic leap backwards. Kel, pressing her advantage, lunged in again, darting in and out rapidly, Terry franticly tried to dodge and parry each stroke. 

They were both sweating profusely by now, but Kel remained confident, _soon, he's tiring more than I am. _Her eyes searched calmly for an opening, ignoring the frantic insults he threw at her. His friends watched tensely, knowing how bad this was going for Terry. She parried and dodged with ease, striking at him at the appropriate times, _THERE!_ She darted in at the sudden opening, her glaive's blade hook the swords hilt and with some rapid moving she dislodged it from his hand, quickly still, she lunged in and pressed the glaive's blade at his throat, breathing heavily, "Do you yield?"

He looked at her, sweat pouring down from him and gave a slight nod, Kel disengaged her glaive from his throat and relaxed… slightly. Terry suddenly rushed at her swinging a fist, she dodged to the side, and it missed by several inches. She then grabbed his tunic, and threw him onto his back swiftly again she placed her glaive at his throat, her eyes were dark and fierce, "Some knight you are, attacking after you were beaten."

Terry didn't say anything, he just glared at her.

Kel sighed and let up, she gave a glare at him and his buddies, her voice venomous, "I thought that Scanran's knights would have more _honor_ then you currently have." She started to walk away, thinking dark thoughts.

One of Terry's buddies ran up to her and cut her off, Kel gave a dark look at him, "What?"

He smiled at her and held out a pouch, "Here."

Surprise shown on her face, then she was suspicious once again, "What is it?"

"Just take it, it's your gold nobles for defeating Terry."

Kel looked at him closely, wondering if it was a trick they cooked up because she humiliated them by beating their friend. She gave a sigh and took the bag and opened it, shaking out the contents in her hand. There was the 10 gold nobles promised to the winner, she glanced at the man.

All he did was nod at her and grin, turning around to go back to his friends.

She watched him run away towards Terry and the others, _I'll never understand these Scanrans._ With that she headed back to her room to change and get ready.

~

Joren appeared from watching nearby from some shadows, a thoughtful look on his face. He glanced at the sun and saw that it was time to be heading in and walked back to the palace.

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A/N:

IceWind: *giggles* ooooooooo Joren was WATCHING Kel!

Kaori: *she yawns* so?

IceWind: *frowns at the rabblite* its part of the story DUH!

Raen: *sighs* Its Christmas! For once be CIVIL to one another!

IceWind: *she pouts at the hizar* but Kaori is a meanie!

Kaori: *she gives a laugh* Fine but only for today!

Raen: *he sighs and bows his head* one can only hope. 

IceWind: *stands up and waves to the readers* MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a candy cane *hands person a candy cane*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. BYE NOW!


	5. Spy’s Intrigue

Aether Winds

Chapter five- Spy's Intrigue

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: GAH! I thought I had EVERYTHING working, BUT I can't think of a way to get the story where I want it to go!!!!! NOOOOOO!!! *sighs* fear not, dear readers (ya im corny), I'll find a way somehow, someway. GUESS WHAT! I've decided on a goal! ^.^ 100 reviews! I have 23 (counting mine hehehe) need more!

Kaori: *bounces up sneering* your joking right? You couldn't get that many even if your future as a writer depended on it.

IceWind: *scowls and tackles the rabblite, fighting occurs between them once again*

Raen: *he sighs* Readers… you should get used to this. Anyway, thanks to… 

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Silver Raven: I try not to have many grammatical errors, it makes me mad when I see them lol. It's enthralling? KEWL! hehe

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Liaska: awww! Thanks! And I thought my characters were kinda bland…

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Xelena: hehe plot twist? Where? *looks around confused* ^.^ I ALMOST see it! lol

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Kel hid deftly in the shadows, watching the king with narrowed eyes, finally she skipped all that 'asking people' part and moved on to bigger and better things, namely, spying on the king directly. She glances around cautiously, she hadn't seen Joren in a while, _where was he? _One thing she probably should have done was tell him that she was going to spy on the king, but since their fight two days ago, they were avoiding each other. _Well, it's not like I need his permission anyway. _

She stood there watching him talk with his confidant, wishing she could read lips. Kel was surprised on how little information she got from his people, which was why she was doing what she was doing. His people seemed to think he was a fair and just ruler, though a bit eccentric at times, she smiled slightly, _when I asked what they meant they got all flustered and said that it wasn't something a lady should hear, funny._ A slight frown crossed her face, _this isn't working either, and I can't HEAR anything. Got to get closer_. 

At that she crept closer, sticking to the shadows, with an alarmed eye she saw them turn to face her. Kel dove behind some banisters, cursing to herself about being to loud when she was breathing. Her heart nearly stopped as she saw their shadows move up to her, but they stopped a slight distance away, _in perfect range for me to hear them also_. She turned her attention to the men talking, paying a slight amount to her surroundings. 

~

"Is it ready?" the king asked with a childlike eagerness to Darial, his eyes questioning. 

"Soon my liege, it will be ready," Darial answered calmly, "we still have many preparations though, so it might take a while to have everything up and running."

__

Up and running? What is getting ready?

"I want it to be done soon Darial!"

He answered soothingly, "It will be, then you'll have what you want. What you, we, have dreamed off."

"See to it then, it cannot, MUST not, fail."

__

I knew if something were to happen Darial would be in the middle of it, humph, weapon master I think not, he acts too high up for that, and much to close to the king…. I wonder, is he manipulating him?

"I understand," he smiled grimly at his lord, "do not worry about it."

"How can I not?" the King looked slightly frantic, "there are spies all around, I don't know who to trust anymore!"

__

What??? Now I'm definitely leaning towards manipulation. Spies huh? I hope they didn't find out about me and Joren, that would be bad, really bad. King Jonathon said that if we were found, he would deny any ties between us and the crown.

"You know that you can always trust me my lord."

"I know, I know, you've been such a loyal subject… Darial, you really ought to be one of my advisors, I do not understand why you keep declining."

__

HUH???

"That is easy, my lord, it keeps me out of the public's eye and makes what I really do much, much easier… my lord…. I have a question," now he seems quiet and brooding, not knowing if he should voice it or not.

"What is it Darial?"

"Do you… trust… Radock?"

"Radock? He's my most trusted advisor! Of course I do, as much as I trust you," he looked confused at the question, "Why do you ask?"

__

He probably wants to bump poor, stupid, Radock out of the way to gain more power you fool!

Darial sighed and shook his head, "It is nothing my lord, just… is he privy to what we are doing?"

"No not yet, though I plan to alert him soon, our plan is hanging on a thread, if word breaks out… You know what would happen," the king frowned, "_I'm_ not even to sure what is happening, you know it all."

"I know my lord, please, just don't tell him yet. You know Radock, he has a loose tongue," a grimace settled over his features, making his countenance appear even darker. 

Darial had dark mahogany brown hair with brilliant, but cold, emerald green eyes. His appearance caused many women in court to become infatuated with him, but he was a poor noble and didn't own much. His property was very small, causing many of the older set to look down on him and pull their daughters away towards more prospective husbands, but he didn't care. Darial never cared about the air-headed girls chasing after him and always ignored them.

__

Funny, I think that he and Radock appeared in King Balor's court around the same time. Darial came after Radock though, but only by a couple of months if the people who I asked were right, and they should be anyway.

King Balor sighed and nodded his head, "On that I will agree with you Darial, we both know Radock and his vulnerability to pretty women, though I did see him with that Tortallon knight, you know, the second woman knight Tortall has had."

__

They are talking about ME?! Oh boy…

Darial gave a slight shrug, "I don't care a bit, though those two knights make me suspicious."

"Why is that?"

"They may be here on some sort of mission, who knows what their instructions were."

~

Kel heard some incoming footsteps and jerked around, looking for someplace to hide, seeing little, she hugged herself against the banister in hopes the person would pass right by. The steps grew louder, but after a while they started to fade away, going to a different place. She heaved a sigh of relief and went back to listening; hoping that she didn't miss much of the conversation.

~

"…then it will happen?" Balor grinned slightly.

"Of course, it's just the matter of time now," Darial replied with a confident voice, "Soon they will be eradicated."

__

DAMN IT! I MISSED TOO MUCH! Who will be eradicated???? Grrrrr…

"And this is for the better?"

"Of course my liege, I wouldn't do anything different."

__

Yeah right… you fool Balor; he's using you like a rag doll.

"I trust you with my life and the life of my people."

__

What does he mean by that?

Darial bowed deeply, "I will honor that trust."

~

Suddenly a hand clamped over Kel's shoulder, she stifled a scream and whirled around, fearing the worst. She stared into a pair of dark sapphire blue eyes, and sighed, _Radock…_

He stood there looking at Kel with slight confusion, "Hello Kel, what are you doing?"

Her mind screamed out at him, _what do you THINK I'm doing you sorry excuse for an advisor? Much less the FIRST advisor!_ Kel though put on a falsely cheerful expression on her face and replied sweetly, "Just taking a look around." 

"Oh… what book were you looking for?"

"Book?" her eyes blinked once, and she looked around.

"Err… yes Kel, book. You are in the Royal Library after all… didn't you know that?" Radock looked confused.

__

For a good reason, I'm standing between a bookcase and a stairway! Of COURSE I'm in the library, stupid stupid me! I was so busy following Darial and Balor that I forgot where we were! Kel gave a lame grin, "Of course! I was… just overwhelmed with all the books! That's all!" _Lame excuse Kel…_

Suddenly a deep voice spoke, "Overwhelmed now Ms. Mindelan?" and Darial appeared, looking annoyed, with King Balor behind him.

Kel could have knocked her self on her head, many times in fact. She had let RADOCK of all people find her and alerted Darial and Balor to her presence. She gave a mental sigh and bowed deeply to the king and weapon master. As she straightened she gave a slight nod, "Yes weapon master Darial, your library is extremely big." _At least I remembered the fact that Scanra has one of the largest libraries in the world. God I'm nearly as hopeless as Joren says I am._

Balor smiled at her, "Yes, it is one of the largest in the entire world, we Scanrans are proud of that fact. Not only do we have powerful knights, but we are intelligent as well."

She stifled a laugh and just nodded, "Yes I agree my liege." _Well most anyway, Radock though… I AM nasty aren't I?_ She gave a mental smile to herself and watched the men closely. 

Suddenly Kel gave a soft gasp in surprise, causing the men to turn and look at her. She quickly shook herself and smiled, "I'm sorry, my lords," to the king, "my liege. I have to be going now though." With that she gave a deep bow to them all and quickly walked away, thoughts churning in her mind, for she had seen on Darial's wrist a tear-shaped gem exactly like hers, only a deep ice blue. 

~

__

It has to be just a coincidence, besides, I got this gem before I cam to Scanra, he couldn't have sent it to me… but what if someone sent it to both of us? She shook her head, walking towards her room_; no I can't believe that, neither of them, when have I been getting paranoid about this gem anyway? _She stopped to the side of the hallway and lifted her necklace, eyeing the white gem. She never even took it off, in fact, she never tried to. _It's like there is something in me that doesn't want it off me, doesn't want it to get lost, or stolen. _She thought darkly to herself, _or even known to other people. _

She groaned and resumed walking, _this is giving me a headache and I still have to think about what I had heard… wonder if I should tell Joren, _she reflected on that for a second, _I suppose I shall have to, he IS my partner in this endeavor, might as well. _Suddenly Kel frowned, _oh boy, now how will I tell him that I'm directly spying on the king without him blowing up on me? _She thought to herself for a second, before coming to the conclusion, _not possible at all, might as well face my doom_.

At that Kel switched directions and started towards Joren's room instead, silently dreading this encounter.

~

"You WHAT?" Joren yelled, his ice blue eyes blazing.

Needless to say, when Kel told him that she had been spying on the king, he blew up in her face with a storm of accusions and yells on how stupid she acted, especially without his permission to do so. 

Kel kept a tight reign over her emotions, anger sparkling throughout her, _really, what I did WASN'T stupid and I found out USEFULL information! _ She said in a controlled manner, "I said that I was spying on his majesty Balor and the weapon master Darial, what do you think I said?"

He scowled at Kel, "You didn't inform me Mindelan? How irresponsible, stupid…"

A furious Kel cut him off, "I was definitely NOT irresponsible, nor stupid Stone! I knew what I was doing! And I DO NOT need _your_ permission to go spying on them! You are not my better or commanding knight on this trip nobody is! In fact I can do what I want, when I want also! At least _I_ found out something, the same couldn't be said for you!"

Joren stood there with an irritated expression on his face, he folded his arms and leaned up against a wall, watching her.

She sighed and watched him carefully, wishing to know what he would do, or say, next. _God I'm nervous. I don't know what he would do next; I really wish he would stop blowing up in my face and just LISTEN to me for once. _She controlled her voice and calmed down, "Will you _just_ listen to what I have to tell you?"

He just looked at her, thinking to himself who knows what.

"Joren?"

Joren looked at her, still thinking. Suddenly he seemed to sigh and nod, "Fine Kel, tell me what you found out," his voice still held slight disbelief in about it, but he seemed willing to listen.

Kel seemed taken about for a second, one he will actually listen to her, and two, he actually called her Kel for once in her life, _not lump, Mindelan, the girl, but Kel. Weird, very very weird._ She cleared her throat and started to speak, "Well it seems that Balor and Darial are in it together and nobody else knows."

He blinked once, but gave a slow nod, "The weapon master and king huh?"

She looked even more nervous; _it is kinda hard to believe I suppose_, "Yes, the king doesn't even know all of what Darial is doing and planning."

"Uh huh then? I would think that the _king_ would know what's going on, if he's even in the plan anyway."

She bit her lip slightly, "But that's the way I heard it and they didn't know that I was here, also they think that there is spies in their court."

"Of course they do, _we're _here aren't we?"

"Don't patronize me Stone!"

He flashed a slight smirk at her, "Fine Mindelan, keep talking then."

Kel gave a slight nod, "Well its seems that Darial doesn't like Radock, I can sympathize with that though," she a gave a disgusted look at the thought of Radock.

"Hmmm… for what reason?"

"Well… I don't know yet…"

Joren gave a mocking smile at her, "You don't _know?_"

She scowled at him again and kept on talking, "But it may be because he wants more power, but the king said that he declined the position of one of his advisors many times, it gets me thinking."

He shrugged, "You may be right, or you may be wrong, we'll just have to wait and see. Anything else?"

Kel shook her head, deciding not to say anything about the gem part of it, _he'll think I'm crazy for even thinking about it._

"Next time I'll go with you and we'll see if we find anything else."

__

WE? Weird, he usually goes solo…

"The only reason why I'd even go with you is to make sure you don't mess up Mindelan."

She gave a mental sigh, _that explains it_, "Fine Stone," she yawns, "I have to get going anyway, see ya, tomorrow?"

He gave a slight nod and Kel left his room, heading towards hers again, thinking to herself.

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A/N:

IceWind: OOOOO! What's with Radock? Darial? The king? Hehehe find out in upcoming chapters! ^.~

Kaori: *snickers* as if anyone would come back and read it again.

IceWind: HEY! *grabs the rabblite by its ears* anyway, my readers, this was a FUN chapter to write! Don't ask me why… it just was ok? hehe

Raen: *blinks* it was LONGER to! Wow, and its not that bad, at least I think so *shoots a glance at Kaori* but… WHEN DO I GET TO MAKE MY APPEARANCE???

IceWind: *clamps a hand over his muzzle* SHHH! They can't know about it yet! DUH RAEN! Usually you have more sense then this!

Kaori: *grumbles and twists around* at least you get to make an appearance.

IceWind: *blinks* If I could and it works with the story I'll try ok Kaori? But I don't think so… HEY! I'M REVEALING TO MUCH!

Raen: *he snickers*

Kaori: *continues to squirm*

IceWind: *waves* till next time I post… HEY I wrote this one fast! In 2 days! ^.^ ooooo!

Kaori: *rolls her eyes and they all disappear*

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a candy cane *hands person a candy cane*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. BYE NOW!


	6. The Calling

Aether Winds

Chapter six- The Calling

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *smiles and waves* ELLO again!

Kaori: *bounces up grumbling, you notice her ears are in knots…* stupid Icey….

IceWind: *scowls at her and turns back to the readers* Hey guys! Like my story so far? HUH?????

Raen: *pads up frowning and whines* when do _I _get an appearance?

IceWind: *glares at him* YOUR TELLING THEM!

Raen: *blinks and whines* fine then… *goes off to sulk in a corner*

IceWind: *she giggles* don't mind Raen, he's like that sometimes, anyway, thanks to…

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Hee hee hee (same person as Me who do you think I am): I don't really know who you are, but let me take a guess! Its hyperchick right? No? yes? Anywayz… thanks for reviewing and ummmm I don't think that Dom's even going to _show up_ in this story lol. I'm sorry, maybe my next story though!

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Anomynous: Ya know it would be better for me to write out the replies to your comments if you leave a name! ^.^ just a suggestion! Anyway, thanks, the first chapter was more like a prologue really, but fanfiction.net doesn't put up prologues, so I made it into a chapter. (did you know you spelled anonymous wrong? I only noticed since I have this chapter on word lol. A little red squiggly line showed up under it. I kept how you spelled it the same though! ^.^)

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Rogue: hehe! Thank you thank you! *she gives an elegant bow and giggles* The Scanrans are SNEAKY, but remember, not everything is as it seems. I tend to dislike the kind of stories have everything spelled out for you. 

**Xelena**: awww thanks! It's excellent people! Did you hear… or read… what she said??? *beams proudly* awww that's so nice!

**Squire Kali**: Yay! You can review again! Lol, thanks for all your e-mails and let me just say that they are NOT sleeping together (Darial and the king, she asked in her e-mail). The romance bit… later, I try to stay in character (no offense of you who do this) but I get annoyed when I see stories where Joren and Kel fall into each other's arms and profess undying love for each other. Can you blame me? It's just not in character for them both, and Kel's slightly ooc in my story, I mean in the books she doesn't go around slapping people lol.

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Still Wishin: You like it then? Hehe thanks a lot. And it's probably going to be a Joren/Kel fic, I'm about 99% sure lol. BUT it will come in intervals and not fast.

I say that I won't post the next chapter unless I have at least… 7 reviews. ^.^ That's only one more than I got for the last chapter. (ok even if I get 7 reviews I can't post immediately lol, im still writing the story, and even if I didn't get 7 reviews, I'll probably post another chapter anyway.. so it's a futile threat hehe)

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Kel sighed and waited impatiently, tapping her foot against the floor. She was waiting for the now late Joren to show up so they could get their mission underway. Kel was dressed in all black, fitting clothes, planning to stay in the shadows like she did last time. A scowl appeared on her face, _he's half a candle mark late… and they say that women take a long time to get dressed. _After another half a candle mark went by, she started to pace around her room, muttering unpleasant things under her breath. _This isn't exactly the most comfortable clothes to wear and I have been waiting too DAMN long for him! I'm LEAVING and going solo!_ At that thought she whirled around opened her door, stalking out.

She slammed into someone's chest and looked up with a dark frown, _it had BETTER not be Radock_, sure enough it wasn't, in fact, it was worse. She had ran right into Joren, who didn't look particularly happy to see her leaving without him. 

"What are you doing Mindelan?" his voice was even and low…. definitely not good for her.

She slapped on her lump expression and answered him coolly, "You were late by a _candle mark_ Stone! For all I knew you were in the arms of some Scanran lady you've been meeting at the balls, and were to busy to bother to help me," her voice was highly suggestive and she inwardly smirked at when she saw the anger on his face. _Serves him right for making me wait this long. _She folded her arms and leaned against the doorway, watching him with an outward expression of calm, "So mind telling me what you have been doing during the time I've been waiting for you?"

Joren returned his expression into one of complete emotionless, and gave Kel an arched brow.

__

I hate it when he looks like that, so annoying

"So??"

A smirk twitched on his lips before answering her, "Getting ready Mindelan. What? Jealous when you thought that I was doing 'something else'?"

__

I could cheerfully strangle him sometimes

Kel gave him a cold glare and stoically replied, ignoring the slight blush that stained her cheeks, "Of course not Stone, but I do have a right to know why you are so late when we have a mission to accomplish." She then gestured him into her room so nobody could spot them talking and then looks at him more fully, taking in what he was wearing and carrying.

Joren was wearing mostly black like her, only his tunic was of the darkest of grays. His hair fell messily over his cold ice blue eyes and his stance was wary, ready for anything. In his right hand he was casually holding a long dagger with a black hilt.

"Paint a portrait, it would last longer," his eyes were mocking as he spoke, casually slipping his dagger into an arm sheath.

__

Grrr… he's soooo frustrating, arrogant, hard-headed… _I could go on and on about him. What do the_ _other girls see in him anyway? Every time I look, some new girl is falling all over him. Sometimes I think that I'm the only sane woman in this entire country,_ she reflected to herself, _make that two countries actually. Every woman in the Scanran court is sighing over him also. Sure his mysterious and black-god-may-care attitude is intriguing, and sure he is one of the most handsome men on the planet is attracting… What the heck am I thinking about? Joren is too arrogant for my tastes at least. Goddess, I wish it was Neal, Cleon, or Owen with me._

Kel snapped out of her thoughts when she saw that Joren was staring at her in agitation, with a frown she said quickly to cover up her silence, "Why are you bringing a dagger Stone?"

"In case we get caught, doesn't take a genius to figure that out Mindelan."

She bristled at his tone of voice, "But if you get caught with it, if we get caught spying, we'll then get into more trouble."

He glared at her, his expression of one sorely tried and annoyed, "Look Mindelan, I'm bringing the dagger. Don't _dare_ try to dissuade me. Besides _if _we get caught we'll be tried for spying against the crown which is a capital offense. Bringing, or not bringing, a dagger won't change that at all."

She fumed to herself silently, _he's right, but black god strike me down before I admit that to him_. Instead, she hid her discomfort and snapped at him, "You still didn't tell me why you are late." Kel waited for his answer impatiently, giving a quick glance around her room to see if she should bring anything else. Grumbling to herself, she spotted her own dagger and picked it up, slipping it into her belt, _if he brings one, I can to._

Joren spoke while he was watching her, his voice sarcastic, "What Mindelan? Do you think that just by the grace of the goddess we will find where the king is at this time? While _you_ were in your room and waiting, I took it upon myself to see where he usually went at this time. It was by our own dumb luck that you found the king the first time."

A surprise look greeted him, which when he saw made a smirk appear on his face. Kel gave an inaudible sigh and strove to look calm and uncaring… failing dismally in the process. To cover it up, she answered him coolly, "Find Stone, but try to do it earlier next time, or at least _tell _me what your going to do!"

__

Oh goddess, I sincerely hope he doesn't find out that I was searching the grounds the ENTIRE day looking for the king.

All he did to answer her was to lift up one of his shoulders in a shrug, an uncaring look apparent on his face.

__

Which is Joren language means maybe, but most likely no.

She ground her teeth slightly, and only one who was watching her face up close would notice the way her jaw was visibly clenched up. And Joren, who wasn't watching her up closely, not caring to, didn't notice. Kel spat out her next words angrily, "Whatever Stone, let's go." She threw open her door, but was careful enough to make sure that it didn't make any sound as it swung open, and even less when she clicked it shut.

Joren didn't say anything; his face was now completely focused, intent on what he has to do. They both sticked to the shadows, keeping an eye out for any of the kings guards, or any other people at all. Kel's body was lithe and graceful, dodging around corners or hiding behind walls. Joren was all speed and strength, his movements precise and each step calculated before being taken. They moved over by the king's private garden, where Joren had whispered to her, "That's where the king usually is at this time, nobody knows why, but I'll find out…"

Kel frowned slightly as she continued to follow him, _we'll find out Joren, we are supposed to work together,_ but she didn't voice her thoughts out loud. 

He knew the layout of the palace better then she did, in his spare time he has been exploring every nook and cranny he could get into, mapping it all out in his head.

They both ducked behind a garden wall. Joren was carefully scanning around for any guards; no visitors came to the king's private gardens, while Kel glanced around quickly for King Balor. She nudged Joren with her elbow as she saw Balor sitting on a stone bench by a pond, looking into the water with a brooding expression on his face. 

Joren glanced over to where she was looking and nodded slightly, they quickly made their way over to the king, both vainly trying to keep any sounds to a minimum. 

__

SHIT!

A crack echoes throughout the reclusive gardens, Kel had stepped carelessly on a tree branch and was now looking around frantically, trying to find a place to hide.

Joren shot her a swift glare and grabbed her tunic, flinging himself and her behind a nearby shrub soundlessly.

__

How the hell does he do it???

Kel glanced up at him, afraid to say anything, _probably not a good time to tell him to get off of me…_

When they landed, she had landed on her back, with him on top. He kept her pinned down with his weight and was now looking through the shrub to watch the king, who was currently looking around trying to find the person who made the sound. Joren was keeping perfectly still, and his body prevented Kel from moving at all.

__

Well I could knock him off, but Balor would hear that and we'll be in chains down one of the darkest and smelliest dungeons alive... oh goddess…

She gave a small gasp, barely audible, when another crack was heard. Joren swung around his head to glare at her, even though the king couldn't possibly hear her from so far away.

~

Balor narrowed his eyes and frowned deeply, _what is going on here? Intruders? Trespassers? Or is it was Darial had said, spies?_ He opened his mouth to start calling his guards, they never came in his gardens unless they had to, he forbid it, but quickly shut it when he saw a gray squirrel poke her head up at him from some tree. 

__

I'm getting paranoid it seems, nothing is the matter, it's only the squirrel. 

He gave a weak chuckle at the squirrel, and called out softly, "So it's only you then, fine. That's a good thing and I won't tell you to get out of my gardens…" Balor looked around fondly at his garden, it had been his late wife's until she died by… He shook his head, _better not dwell on that._ He swung his head and stared back at the still pond's water, thinking to himself.

~

__

Thank all the gods… and goddesses… 

They both stayed motionless until Kel thought that enough time has passed that Joren could now get off her. She softly hissed at him, "Stone, you can get off me now." She shot a glance to where the king was, noticing that he couldn't hear them if they talked lowly. 

Joren looked slowly down at her, so intent on his primary focus, the king, that he forgot that he was still lying on top of her. With a venomous glare at her, he slowly got off, not even stirring a leaf as he was doing so. After he was done he gave her another glare and whispered, "You little fool, you almost got us caught by Balor himself! This is what I get for putting up with inept partners such as yourself Mindelan." 

__

…He's right… but I will never tell him that, I should have watched where I was going, I was so intent on spying on Balor… never again will that happen. 

She didn't say anything to him, just silently acknowledging his words. Kel carefully pulled herself up to a sitting position, watching Balor with the utmost of care, noting his every movement, "Joren?"

He glanced over to her, keeping one eye on her and one eye on his target, "What is it Mindelan?"

She gave a soft sigh, "What if he doesn't do anything tonight? I mean, I don't even see Darial around, or Radock for that matter."

His answer was short and to the point, "We wait."

All Kel did was sigh and nod slightly, returning her gaze to the king. 

~

__

I'm so BORED! GAH!

Kel was hardly watching the king now; it has been an hour and thirty minutes since the 'incident' and now she was completely and utterly bored, _the king has hardly STIRRED from his spot!_ She gave a soft yawn and looked over at Joren.

He was still tense and was watching Balor with eyes as sharp as an eagle's. He hadn't let up a bit since the start of the mission and wasn't showing any signs of letting up anytime soon. 

__

How can he do that?? Here I am bored, sitting on my bum on cold ground, and ready to strangle the king for not doing anything, and there Joren is watching like it's the most exciting thing on earth. 

She blinks sleepily and opens her mouth to ask him, but suddenly clamps it shut again, _what the heck was I about to do!? He'd kill me or something for taking his mind off the mission…_

Her thoughts broke off abruptly as she saw a lean figure walk across the garden, heading directly towards the king, "Who is…" she began.

Joren whirled over and faced her, glaring at her, "Shut up Mindelan, look for yourself," at that he now renewed his focus on the king and the now rapidly approaching weapon master Darial.

Kel sighed to herself, _god that was stupid_, she now focused her attention on the two men, waiting and watching with the utmost of caution. 

__

Can Darial see us? He is approaching our way, she saw him glance around suspiciously and head towards the king, away from the bush she and Joren were hiding behind, _no it's probably a case of bad nerves on my part…_

Joren and Kel watched the two men, each of them sharp and waiting, both hoping that they would discover some tidbit of information that would tell them what was going on in Scanra that made the king of Tortall so nervous. 

~

"My liege," Darial bowed with almost inhuman grace to Balor, "How are you this fine evening?" Under the cover of his hair he glanced around, looking for any sign of other people, detecting none, he gave a slight smile.

Balor smiled slightly at Darial, his expression though, still holding a great deal of concern, "Rise Darial, and you shouldn't do that to me when we are alone, a king has little friends, and I count you as one."

__

Balor… you are SUCH a complete fool

Darial rose calmly, "As I consider you one of my few."

"Now, how soon can it be started? I'm getting concerned," a hint of nervousness broke though to his face, "The sooner the better."

__

Why can't they be more SPECIFIC? What do I have to do to talk in DETAIL????? …errr… wait… I can't get them to talk in detail…. Damn…

"I shall soon see it underway my liege, but there are a few complications already," his dark blue eyes swept over the garden grounds swiftly.

"Complications???" Balor's voice rose a few degrees in sound, at Darial's admonishing look he quieted his voice slightly, "What do you mean?"

"It seems that we may have a security leak," his voice was low. 

~

Kel and Joren strained their ears to hear him better. Each one was silently wondering to themselves.

~

"A security leak?" the king's face became stern, "Start explaining Darial."

Darial's face showed no signs of any worry as he started, "It is nothing serious, but we may be set back for a few days."

__

Grr… I don't even know what they are talking about. 

Balor sighed, "How long?"

"At the max, 10 days in time."

"That long?" Balor looked surprised, even shocked, "But your allies Darial, can't they help?"

__

ALLIES????? Oh glory be…

Darial growled out at Balor softly, "You don't know who might be watching my liege! You cannot give out information like that!" he calmed down slightly and went on, "No they cannot, you know that they will not even try until…" he gestured slightly with his hands, "You understand?"

__

Please say no, then he'll have to tell you, then we'll finally get a piece of information, then I can go back to Tortall…

"Yes"

__

Damnit all to the black gods realm! HOW CAN I GET A PIECE OF INFORMATION IF EVERYONE IS SO OBSCURE????

"Good then my liege," he sighed, "I must go, goodnight my liege," Darial gave another bow and started to walk away.

Balor suddenly spoke again, "Wait Darial…"

Darial turned around to face him, a brow raised in place of a question.

"…Never mind, goodnight," Balor returned to his brooding as Darial walked away.

~

Joren motioned Kel to follow him as he silently stood up, keeping himself totally hidden still. She raised after he did and ran a hand through her hair, annoyance clearly expressed in her face. He ignored it and quickly began to head back toward the main grounds of the palace, Kel following him with caution. They reached the main grounds easily, but still kept to the shadows, they did look suspicious wearing mostly black.

Kel sighed and leaned against a wall, "So Stone, believe me now?"

He glanced over at her, not saying anything.

She decides to be annoying, wanting him to say that she was right for once, "Come on Stone! Admit it! I was right that… mmmmmfff mmfmfffm mfff…"

Joren's hand had moved across her to cover her mouth, his eyes glared at her as he whispered, "You bloody fool Mindelan! Not here! Where are your brains?? It was your fault that the king almost caught us, I won't let you tell everyone here what we have found out!" Carefully he removed his hand, watching her for any signs that she would start up talking again.

__

I should kill him, maim him at least… thinking that he can boss me around all the time…

She crossed her arms and glared at him belligerently, not saying anything.

Annoyance flared in his eyes, but he quickly covered it, "We'll meet at the stables tomorrow, at 10."

Kel looked at him in confusion, _huh?_, "What do you mean Joren?"

He looked at her in exasperation, saying up to the night sky, "Why do I put up with incompetence like this?" Joren turned back to her and said like she was three years old again, "You, me, stables, 10 o'clock. We need to discuss the information away from the ears of the palace."

She mutters to herself, to lowly for him to hear, "Why do I put up with this?" to him she said shortly, "Fine then," and wheeled around, walking towards her room, mumbling something about needing a long sleep.

Joren didn't say anything, just watched her slip off before heading towards his rooms himself.

~

Kel fell down into her nice, soft bed with a languorous sigh, "This feels nice…" A couple seconds later she drifted off into sleep peacefully, exhausted by the days advents. 

__

"Why does this always happen to me? It could happen to ANYONE else, but noooo it's always; pick on the female knight Keladry so she can't get any good night's sleep, even if she DESERVES it for once…"

This dream was different from the others, while the others felt like memories or premonitions, this one felt like she was stuck in a place, in some sort of stasis. 

__

Kel was standing in the middle of a clearing; she looked left, then right, but saw nobody. Instead, she felt remarkably clear-headed, like for once in her life she knows exactly what she was doing. Nothing remotely dangerous lurked in the shadows of the trees, nothing trying to grab her, hurt her. It was… peaceful…

"Just what I deserve, I think anyway…"

Her eyes looked around, a sense of calm falling over her, she couldn't see anything, but trees, grass, and rocks. Light suddenly swirled around her in a colorful display, she was wrapped in it, a warm cocoon of light. When it faded away, Kel looked down and gave a small gasp in surprise.

"What the heck?"

She was wrapped in a beautiful, long forest green dress that accented the bits of gold in her eyes. Everything else that was on her was gone… except for her white teardrop necklace, which floated up in front of her, shining a brilliant white.

"Why is everything else gone except you?"

As she spoke, the crystal pulsed, and grew brighter. The light would have blinded anyone else… but Kel couldn't look away from it, it was… exquisite…

"What's… happening…?"

The light grew brighter in response, until even Kel had to shut her eyes for a moment, and as quickly as the light came, it faded from sight, dropping back onto her neck. Now an ordinary necklace once again.

"Strange."

She finally looked up again, and her eyes widened, instead of a bunch of rocks in front of her, as it was before, stood a stone tablet. Engraved in it were strange markings and symbols that before today, Kel would have said she would never been able to understand.

She walked up gracefully and fluidly, somehow feeling certain that she should do this… Carefully her eyes perused the tablets surface engravings and spoke some of the words out loud…

------------------------------------------

__

"Four elements that is known

Fire, air, earth, and water

They make up nature and set the tone

But they are not the only ones in danger

-

__

Light is the fifth one

Bright it has glowed

Its power could banish a ton

Of demons taking what evil has bestowed

-

__

Dark is the sixth

Black and sly in night

Its creatures are graceful and lithe

Yet it can also be controlled by goods light

-

__

Psy is the seventh

One of the most undetectable

Its power could bring a person to death

It's in the mind, nearly impenetrable

-

__

Lightening is the eighth one

Only two more left to go

Its power starts when the storms have sung

It can protect or destroy, but only the users know

-

__

Ice is the ninth 

A cold and deadly fear

Its weapon is a frozen scythe

A power evoked by the tundra's tears"

------------------------------------------

__

Kel's eyes hit the end of the tablet; the rest of the words were scratched out and unreadable. Wonderingly she mutters to herself.

"What can be the last elements? How much can there be left?"

She suddenly reread the stanza about lightening, "Only two more left to go."

"The only one after that though is ice, so that means that there is only one more element left, at least in this poem, weird. Like the poem said, I thought there was only fire, water, earth, and air. What can be the last element?"

Her face was creased in confusion, but suddenly her head jerked up in surprise. A large lightening bolt streaked down from the sky and smashed the tablet into smithereens. Kel took a step back, mouth slightly agape.

"What's happening?"

Her former sense of calm and peacefulness disappeared, and a sense of panic rose within her. Shadows emerged from all around her, and she gave an involuntary shriek and stumbled back more steps, tripping over the hem of her green dress.

"Get Away!"

Kel's cry rang out in the clearing, but it didn't stop the shadows from coming towards her, her hand went to her belt for her dagger… but it wasn't there. 

"Shit! I forgot that this dress and the necklace is the only things I have on me right now!"

She looked around herself frantically, panic clear in her eyes. She backed herself up, unmindful of her bruises and cuts, until she hit solid stone. She whispered softly

"No…"

The shadows emerged and advanced towards her, each of their steps purposeful, and slow. A mocking laugh and a voice, vaguely familiar, echoed throughout the clearing. 

"You shall never accomplish the task that destiny has set out for you, I will not let you!"

Her head jerked up, her mouth set and waiting for what will happen to her next. Suddenly a hand reached out towards her, compelling Kel to go over to it and take it. Without a seconds thought she reached over and grasped it, a sense of well being filling her.

"Nooooooo!" The voice screamed out angrily, "My prey is escaping!"

A voice whispered to her, the owner of the hand, "My soul…" at that it all went black…

~

Kel awoke gasping, glancing out the window, _daybreak_, she breathed slowly, trying to make sense of it.

__

It was a dream only a dream, nothing more… or was it?

She glanced down at herself and saw to her complete amazement that she was wearing the forest green dress, and that she was cut and bruised in several places. Kel closed her eyes and breathed deeply, once, twice, three times… and opened them once again, a wondering voice filled her room, "They are still there…"

Her body jerked up from the bed, "That means that it was all real!? By the gods…" she buried her face in her hands, trying to make sense of it all, "It all has something to do with this…" at that she lifted up her white crystal necklace, and shook it, "This is all _your_ fault isn't it?" Kel let the necklace drop back to her neck before muttering, "I think I'm going nuts…"

A sigh escaped her lips, "I'll have to think about this later, I have to meet up with Joren." She looked down at herself and eyed the cuts and bruises once more, "Some of that bruise balm will help with these, or else Joren will start asking questions."

She picked up the jar, if she had brought nearly nothing else she had remembered to bring this with her to Scanra, and started applying the balm on her wounds. As soon it was applied the bruises started to swell down and the cuts started to disappear. Kel sighed in relief, she half thought that they wouldn't disappear, and hurried to get out of the green dress. 

~

Kel jogged towards the stables, intent on getting there on time. She was wearing her riding clothes and carried her daggers, each hidden on her body.

Smoothly a hand reached out a grabbed her arm, and dark blue eyes looked at her. 

__

Damn… Radock…

He smiled at her and let go, bowing gracefully to her and took her right hand, giving it a slight kiss, before letting it go also, "Ahh… Keladry, why are you up so early?"

She gave an inward sigh, answering him with no outward expression on her face, "I couldn't sleep Radock, besides, I have to meet Sto…" she quickly switched the word, "Joren at the stables." Kel gave a false smile at him, "So I have to go now, I'll talk to you later."

__

Unless I find a way to get far away from you

Radock gave a slight frown, "Now?"

Kel nodded.

__

I hope that I don't seem so happy to be leaving him… kinda anyway.

He gave a sigh and reluctantly gave another bow to her, "Then by all means, if you have to meet your colleague then I understand," Radock turned around and started walking away.

She smiled behind his back and began to hurry again, now slightly late because of Radock.

__

Please don't let Joren blow up in my face….

~

Kel arrived at the stables, slightly out of breath and looked around for Joren. She spotted him and began to walk over to him, silently dreading the encounter. He was scowling at her and looked tired, like he didn't get enough sleep. 

Joren asked her sarcastically, "Well your early this morning."

She scowled back at him; "I wasn't that late Stone! Besides, Radock kept me up…"

__

Err… that sounds suggestive doesn't it? Oh boy…

He gave her a slight smirk and raised a brow; "He 'kept you up' now did he?"

Kel sighed and answered as calmly as she could, "I was going to the stables when Radock stopped me on the way and proceeded to do something call socialize, get it Stone?"

Annoyance showed on his face and he shrugged, "Whatever Mindelan, not that I care anyway. We have a mission to talk about, let's go," at that he entered the stables, grumbling to himself under his breath.

__

He's definitely NOT in a good mood…

Kel rolled her eyes and followed him inside, still thinking to herself about the dream she had.

__

Four elements that is known

Fire, air, earth, and water

They make up nature and set the tone

But they are not the only ones in danger…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:

IceWind: MWAHAHA! Isn't that a LONG chapter? You guys BETTER be grateful lol. The entire thing (counting the author notes) is 5,743 words long. Err… don't expect all the chapters to be this long though, I don't think I can do that every time.

Raen: *he pads up grumbling* I wanna be in it….

IceWind: *smirks at him and sticks out her tongue* not yet!

Kaori: *she gives a small snort* uh huh

IceWind: *sits down thinking deeply to herself* WAIT! Did you guys like the poem? I wrote it!

Kaori: *smirks* Nobody cares…

Raen: *sighs* 

IceWind: *she scowls at Kaori* HEY! I wasn't asking you! *she turns to the readers* It's not the best thing I've ever written, but it will do for the story I suppose. So the poem is MINE! Hehe

Raen: *asks patiently* When mistress?

IceWind: *goes big eyed on him* O.o; MISTRESS??? Errr… I'm not too sure, probably soon though!

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get an apple pie *hands person an apple pie*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	7. The Arrow's Fall

Aether Winds

Chapter seven- The Arrow's Fall

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *bounces up happily* HEY PEOPLE! I'm BAACKK!

Kaori: *blinks and asks boredly* where did you go?

IceWind: eh? Errr… nowhere…..

Raen: *he pads up, still sulking, before lying down without saying a word*

IceWind: *sighs* RAAEEENNNNN! SOON! I promise!

Raen: *he sighs and turns his head*

Kaori: *snickers at IceWind* HA! Look what you did!

IceWind: AHHH RAENN!!!!!

Raen: *ignores her and turns to the readers saying softly* Thanks to…

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Ti-Ti: Thanks, and the poem? Errr… its just what Kel's thinking right then. *shrugs* hey I thought it was a good idea at the time! And Raen will get in at the time I NEED him to come in! He's just a sore-butt hizar *snickers*

**RedRosettes**: …what else is there to say except thanks? Lol

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Anya: ….ok….

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Xelena: AHHHH! NO DON'T! or else I'll sic Raen on you! *Raen snorts and turns away* Err… never mind about that! ^.^ Fine you AREN'T grateful (when did I say that you were? Lol)

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Anni: You think so? AWWW THAT'S SO NICE! And I agree completely with the Joren and Kel thing lol, I will _never_ just make them do that. *chuckles*

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Raven: Hard? OH NO! (actually I think so to since I'm keeping a lot of secrets from you guys lol) and it does take some time to actually write the chapter, it would be great to finish it in like… I don't know a day, but for me, that's not possible. (unless I write all day of course) I also know what you mean about waiting for someone to finish a story ^.^ I wait alll the time lol.

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.: You'd think that people would leave _at least_ something longer then a period for their name! How am I supposed to reply???? Hehe. Anyway, thanks and actually… I am developing one, just one that takes a long time!

Lady K: Err… sorry for the no more chapters' thing… here's another one though! And about the Kel suggestion with Radock… maybe I'll think about it. It's a good idea though. And, I AM writing more! As fast as I can alternating between stories that I have to write lol. I have a Sailor Moon one (it's a dark angsty fic though) that I'm writing, and 2 originals that I haven't been paying attention to at ALL lol.

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ACK: AHHHHH! I messed up? Lol. What would she call him then? O.o; anyone know? I don't believe that I know (or I forgot).

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Larzdinn: You guys will find out soon what aether means! Hehe, and WHAT? Oops! My mistake! I'll go correct it soon or something lol.

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Squire Kali: AHH! I have a good excuse! My mom doesn't let me go on the compy (even if I sneak on) on the weekdays because she says I need to study! *pouts* sooo not fair dont'cha think?

I say that I won't post the next chapter unless I have at least… 9 reviews this time! ^.^ I LOVE getting reviews! They are fun to read and encouraging also! 

~

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Here's a summary for the story so far for people confused:

Kel has been having strange dreams for a while now and after one about a white tear drop crystal she finds the exact same one on her bed in the morning when she wakes up. She is… in shock really, but quickly forgets about though it did do some magic thing and transformed into a tear drop necklace so she could carry it around with her. She goes to the practice grounds, beats up Neal, Owen, and Cleon, before Joren comes along and tells her that they have to go see the king. They go to see the king who tells them that he is sending them out on a mission to Scanra to spy, they don't know why but since they are knights they can't question the king (in this story ok? Lol). So they both leave to go spy on Balor, the king of Scanra. While they are there, they think that Darial (king's weapon master) is suspicious and they spy on him and Balor talking about their plans together. They don't know exactly what the two or planning but they are cautious and think it might be something big. In the mean time, Radock (the first king's advisor) seems to like Kel, though Kel doesn't like him, and annoys her greatly. Joren is just hanging around flirting with other women trying to get info and the dreams still come to Kel, in her last one she had a strange poem she can't figure out. Right now Joren and Kel are going for a ride to discuss the information they found out. 

On to the story! (hey im BAD at summaries ok? Gimme a break!)

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Kel grumbled to herself as she followed Joren into the stables. It was a nice, well-kept, and well-lighted place, the smell of horses and hay drifted up to her nose as she walked in and took a look around. Joren was talking to the chief holster: Grandell, about the horses, she walked past them and moved towards the stable paddocks, looking in and peering around inquisitively at the different horses. 

A loud stamping sound entered her ears and she began moving towards it, curiosity in her gaze. As she put a hand on the door, about to look in to see the horse, someone suddenly grabbed her arm and yanked her back. Kel looked up startled into the dark brown eyes of Grandell, who was scowling down at her. An angry look entered her eyes as she jerked back her arm from his grip. Joren, who was reclining against a wall, waiting for the horses, was watching them and smirking to himself. She forced herself to calm down, taking even breathes as she asked Grandell, only slight irritation showing in her voice, "What's wrong?" 

Grandell looked slightly annoyed, brushed back his hair in a sign of nervousness, answering her calmly, "Don' go near that 'un. She's a killer," his was a rough country voice, more inclined to horses then to people.

Kel raised a brow, answering him smoothly, "I shall pick my horse that I wish to ride, I haven't even seen the one you call a 'killer'. Shouldn't I take a look first?" A loud whiney burst through the solitude of the stable, coming from the paddock that Kel had been trying to get into. Kel put on an emotionless face, looking like she didn't even hear it. 

"Mi'lady! You'se crazy! That 'un aint fit for a noble suchus yourself!" his answer was vehement, and yet, sincere at the same time. 

Joren gave a small smirk, waiting to see what Kel would do, or say, next. He was enjoying this little episode, it made Kel look like crazy, trying to ride a horse too rough for noble women, but he was getting slightly impatient, this looked like it could take a while and he was wanting to go for a ride. Finally he barked out at them, "Let the fool chose her own horse Grandell! We're in a hurry." He gave a glare at Grandell when he started to open his mouth to protest, nether the less, when Grandell saw the glare he shut up pretty quickly. 

Grandell folded his arms obstinately, watching Kel, not saying anything at all. 

She raised a brow at Joren, who looked impatient and shot a glare at her, before turning to the door, calling out softly to Grandell, "Hey, I have to look at the horse first ok?" Kel walked towards the paddock and looked over it, there stood a gorgeous little filly. 

The filly was snow white in color, with almost perfect conformation. Her forehead was broad and her eyes wide apart, some think that was a sign of intelligence others thought that it ruined the look of a horse. The horse eyed Kel, hostility shining clearly through her ice-blue eyes. It wasn't a big horse, not big enough for a knight riding with armor, she was only a mere 15 hands tall while knight's horses range from 16 to 17 hands. The thing detracting from the filly's looks, were her temper and the obvious signs that she wasn't well taken care of. There was dirt and other things muddying up in her coat, and the filly's mane and tail was all tangled up. 

Kel suddenly gasp as something registered in her mind, _the filly has BLUE eyes_, that was strange since most blue eyes, white furred animals were deaf and this horse could clearly hear. All Kel did was knock on the wood to confirm if the filly was deaf and the horse swiveled her ears towards Kel. She gave a look at the filly's condition and suddenly shot a venomous look at Grandell, "You didn't take care of her! What kind of hostler are you anyway?"

Distemper showed on Gandell's face before he answered her, "Nun of us could get ere her! How could've we kept her looking nice?"

She broke off her glare, turning back to the horse and unlocked the gate, slipping inside. Joren looked surprised for a second and slid nearer to the paddock, looking to see what would happen to her.

Gandell cried out, "No! Mi'lady don' know what the filly ken do!"

The filly reared as soon as Kel entered the paddock, hatred in her gaze. She stood there motionlessly, watching the filly eye to eye, hazel to ice blue. Joren stood next to the door, looking on tensely, not liking this at all. The filly when back to her feet, but her ears were still laid back, and her feet were still not close enough to strike out at Kel. Kel just continued to watch the filly, aware of her every shuffle, every toss of her head. Her necklace shone softly unnoticed by the men, but the filly eyed it. Kel stood there hoping and wishing, yet ready to dodge the minute the filly looked like she was going to attack, _If she just trusted me…_

Her necklace swung slightly from her neck, the filly's eyes moved down from Kel's to it. None of the others were aware of the necklace, only of the horse who was coming dangerously nearer to Keladry. Kel stood her ground, bravely facing down the filly. 

Slowly the filly approached Kel, a single step at a time. Her head was lowered slightly and her ears were still laid back against her head. Kel, seeing the slight improvement kept still and very slowly raised her hand, eyes locked onto the approaching horse's figure.

Joren stood by the paddock door, his eyes narrowed slightly, _that fool Mindelan, she's going to get bitten, or worse, kicked… not that I care, but it will impair the mission if she gets hurt_. He stood silently, ignoring the nervous stable master beside him.

The horse stopped a step away, ears now slightly relaxed, but not totally away from their laid back position. She shuffled slowly, slightly confused about the still human in front of her. Suddenly the filly stretched out her neck and softly lipped the hand, still cautious. 

Kel smiled lightly and calmly rubbed the filly's neck, who now nickered lowly, but other then that, didn't do anything. She looked behind her to the stunned stable master and the totally emotionless Joren, asking the former, "What's her name?" The filly moved closer to Kel, sensing a friend, her ice blue eyes not roaming over Kel's body, nostrils slightly flared, taking in her scent. 

Grandell nervously cleared his throat, eyes still shocked, "Arctic Wind mi'lady."

Kel gave a business like nod, making the filly shy for a moment before returning to her. She gave a comforting pat on the side of the neck, grimacing slightly when her hand got dirty, "Give me a curry brush."

Joren glared at her while Grandell hurried away to do what she asked, "Mindelan! We have to go! No time for you to clean up your new best friend."

She scowled at him, rubbing Arctic Wind between her ears now, "I will clean her up and you will _not_ even think about deterring me!"

He said warningly, "Mindelan…"

"Go sit down and wait Joren!"

Grandell came back hurriedly with a bucket of warm water, a curry brush, and several other cleaning tools, placing them out of the paddock door. Kel walked over and grabbed them casually, walking back to Arctic with a smile, now ignoring Joren completely.

His eyes narrow, but seeing as he couldn't do anything, he sat down on a pile of hay, thoughts running through his head, anger directed towards Kel and that little white filly who was currently nickering happily at her. 

~

Joren snarled out at her when they started to ride down the trail, heading towards a nearby lake, "What took you Mindelan? Don't you _care_ about what we have to do?" He was riding a tall, 16 ½ hands tall, pure black stallion who wasn't only handsome, but whose gates were as smooth and perfect as his looks. The dark blue eyes, looked around, and his walk had a constrained manner in it. Surprisingly his name was Demon Wind, which was why Kel insisted that Joren pick this horse (well also the fact that she thought it was cute that both Arctic Wind and Demon Wind had blue eyes…). _Humph, the only reason why I picked this horse was to get her to shut up about it._

Kel looked behind her and gave a slight grin at him, "Of course I do Stone. It's just that we aren't doing anything to important and could wait a bit before setting off to talk about what we found." Her forehead creased slightly as she contemplated something, "Hey, how are we going to tell King Jonathon anyway about what we have found?"

He smirked at her in a way that always got her annoyed, "You weren't paying attention were you when they told us what to do." His smirk got bigger as he saw the slight blush that stained her cheeks at that remark.

She snapped at him quickly, "Of course I was paying attention! I just… err… forgot!" _Bad thing to say, now he'll say something like: Figures Mindelan, your memory is as bad as your IQ. _She gave an inaudible sigh and sure enough….

"Figures Mindelan, your memory is as bad as a taurus is stupid."

Inside she was laughing on how close she came, on the outside though, she glared at him mildly, deciding to ignore that comment with dignity. She calmly repeated herself, "How are we going to tell King Jonathon?"

Joren ran a hand through his hair and asked coldly, "Do you think that we are the only one's that the king has stationed here?"

"Well no, but…."

"Don't interrupt Mindelan," out of the corner of his eye he saw her scowl at him, but he continued on, "We write up a report stating what we have found and I'll slip it to one of them to give back to the king personally."

She gave a slow nod, "What if someone finds out."

He stopped his mount abruptly, Demon whinnied and shook his head, but kept still. Joren said bitingly, "They won't."

Kel pursed up her lips and continued on in silence, after a while of silence she saw the lake through some of the trees. Arctic Wind started to pick up her gate, now trotting towards the water to get a drink. Demon Wind followed, his gate just as enthusiastic as hers was. He caught up and started to trot next to Arctic. 

Suddenly time seemed to stop for Kel, everything she saw became sharply in focused. The smells became more apparent, her hearing grew sharper, and her eyesight grew better. She wondered to herself with alarm, opening her mouth to talk to Joren when she suddenly heard the sharp _twang_ of a bow releasing an arrow. Unthinkingly she threw herself out of the saddle towards Joren, knocking him to the side. 

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Pain…

Pain lanced through her shoulder as the arrow slammed though it, Joren unthinkingly shoved her back to her saddle, glaring at her angrily, not knowing why she knocked him out. In the far reaches of her hearing she heard the muffled curse of the would be assassin and his steps as he fled from the area. Slowly her senses returned to the norm and she gave a soft yelp and moved her hand to her shoulder.

"Mindelan! What in the gods name did you do that….." his voice trailed off as he saw the blood seep through her fingers and making trails down her clothing. "Shit!" he gave a frown, his eyes slightly wide at the sight of an arrow protruding from her shoulder, "Can you ride to the lake?"

Kel gave a pain filled nod and tapped Arctic Wind with her heals, the horse now walking hurriedly, as if she sensed that something was wrong, to the lake. Kel drifted in and out of consciousness, the blood loss affecting her greatly. 

They reached the lake and Joren hopped off Demon Wind, quickly tying him to a tree before going to Kel. His eyes narrowed at the amount of blood gushing out from her wound and quickly helped her down, "Fuck!" his eyes quickly took in the fact that she was almost unconscious, "Kel, by the goddess, you better stay awake!"

She gave a weak nod, now lying down by the side of the lake. Joren tugged off her outer tunic and surveyed the wound, ignoring the fact that Kel was almost naked. 

He muttered to her softly, "This'll hurt…" and quickly yanked the arrow out, and quickly stopping the blood with a piece of cloth that he cut off from his own tunic.

She gave a low scream as she felt the arrow slid out from her shoulder and half sat up, lying down again quickly. Kel gave a low moan in pain, and tried to hide it, vainly putting on a thin mask of indifference. _I've been away from the islands to long…_

Joren once again cursed, his eyes hard as he began to clean the wound carefully, "Mindelan, how in the goddess name did you know that arrow was coming?"

Kel gave a weak smile at him and whispered, closing her eyes, "Would you believe pure luck?"

He started to shake his head until he realized that she had fallen unconscious in his arms, Joren grimaced and quickly checked her pulse, _the wound couldn't have been that bad…_ Her pulse beat against his tough steadily, and he determined that she fainted because of the blood lose, _I didn't think that it was that bad or else we would have stopped where she was hit._

Leaves crackled under the sounds of footsteps to his right, and he jerked up his head in a mild glare before his face betrayed his sudden shock. Kel mummered in his arms and shifted restlessly, but he ignored her.

For what approached them was a bunch of guards with an emotionless Darial at its head. All of them bore swords and all of them advanced slowly towards the two.

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A/N:

IceWind: HAHAHAHAHA! I'm soooooo evil! I left it at a cliffhanger! ^.^ Poooorrr Kel! *sniffs* she got hurt, did ya see? I'm sorry that this chapter came out late, and it wasn't really that long….. But you know parents and school *sighs* Anywayz, how did you guys like this chapter? It was weird ne?

Kaori: *she yells* It's always weird!

IceWind: *gives a glare* it is NOT! Just ask Raen! *turns to the lying down Raen* right?

Raen: *turns his head and ignores her*

IceWind: err……

Kaori: *doubles up and laughs* HAHA! See!

IceWind: *snarls at her and kicks her into a garbage can* THERE! *turns back to the readers* anyway… I don't know WHAT I'm going to do with the horses, it was a spur of the moment idea lol. Strange though aren't they?

Kaori: *kicks inside the garbage can angrily*

Raen: *ignores everything around him*

IceWind: *blinks* ehhh… hehe! ^.^ Err… I have a question. *points down to **Question*** Ok? Ja!

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Question

Does Joren have the gift? (If he does then I screwed up, but I will find a way past that lol)

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My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get an apple pie *hands person an apple pie*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	8. Light Asunder

Aether Winds

Chapter eight- Light Asunder

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *she comes up beaming a silly smile* guess what? Raen's speaking to me again! 

Raen: *smirk* Only because I know when your going to put me in.

Kaori: *snickers gleefully* Yeah!

IceWind: *she glares at them both* what??? You two are soooo mean! *she sniffs*

Raen: *chuckles* aww Mistress, don't be sad.

IceWind: *grins* OK! *turns to the readers* Hey people! Thanks to…

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Larzdinn: Yup! And ok! Me change it to… cherry pie! Lol. I'm an amazing author… wow…. That's so KEWL! Hehe ^.^ Yeah, Kel's unconscious *pouts* makes me sad… ooooo I like writing cliffies! They're fun!

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Keladry of Queenscove: *sticks out her tongue playfully* I can leave it there because I am the almighty authoress! Hehe ^.~

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Jaya: *goes big eyed* HUH?? And thanks for telling me that Joren doesn't! I can continue with my sinister plan! *snickers*

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Lady Kit: Yeah! Me add more! In fact… this is a new chapter! Lol.

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Anne: *pouts* you could write a little more… but you wrote so its ok! Hehe. 

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Ti-Ti: awww thanks! And I don't know, soon maybe *shrugs* I haven't decided yet.

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Silver Raven: Yeah its ok! I mean, the last chapter was kinda slow in coming out because of MY school and my parents…. *grumbles under her breath* but I try to find some time! OOO my grammar is good huh? Well in the story, not very much in my authors notes! SOMEONE noticed my poem/prophecy thing! KEWL! You made my day! *happy face*

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Still Wishin: You will find out soon! (I hope lol) I've got to think of a way to introduce the idea gradually… or maybe I'll just plop it into your laps for you guys to digest! ^.^ and I'm hurrying! (or at least trying to, I have midterms ya know) *gags*

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Xelena: ….awww… sorry, but that means your going to hate this chapter to! It's another cliffy! *giggles*

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Jarna Hill: *huggies her* Someone's on my side! So there Kaori! *the rabblite snickers and ignores her* You like my poem? Kewl! (I wrote it in school… -_-;) I was BORED, can you guys blame me?

Ok people! I think that's it… oh yeah, NO MORE SUMMARIES unless you are completely confused, as you noticed… I stink at them! ^.^ stories are SOOO much easier to write, right? *smiles* YAY! People reviewed! Come on people you GOTTA review to make Icey happy! You don't want a SAD Icey do you? I'm asking for 9 reviews again! Anywayz… onto the story!

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Joren tensed up, still holding Kel in his arms, he asked tersely at the guards and Darial, "Why are you here?" His ice blue eyes were cold and held almost no emotion, he shifted Kel in his arms, trying to get into a more comfortable position, wondering idly to himself if he'd be able to beat eight guards and a weapon master by himself, _damn Kel for getting me into this precarious position, how am I supposed to fight and help her at the same time?_ He shook his head, eyes burning coldly into Darial's, _no matter how good I am I'm not an idiot, I cannot beat them all by myself._

Darial looked at Joren expressionlessly, he held his sword casually, unlike the eight tense guards behind him, "You are under arrest by order of King Balor."

He spat out angrily, "Charges?"

"Espionage against the crown, sentence is most likely death pending the trial."

Joren snorted, _yeah right, trial. Ha don't make me laugh, they'd convict us anyway. _He asked with calm that he did not truly feel, "What if I refuse?"

Darial said, deadpanned, "Your death and since your partner is not even conscious, she will be taken and held as a captive."

A quick look down at Kel told Joren all that he needed to know, _fuck I have no choice at all. I don't give jack shit about Mindelan, but she might squeal under the torture they would put her through. _He glared at Darial and muttered, "Fine, let's go," he stood up, carrying the limp Kel in his arms.

Darial watched them as his guards formed a barrier around the two, he asked with slight interest, "If I may, can I ask how Sir Mindelan fell unconscious, we expected a fight when I caught up to you two."

Joren snarled out, shifting Kel in his arms again, whose head fell against his right shoulder comfortably, "Like you don't know."

He looked at Joren and raised a brow, slight amusement showing in his emerald green eyes, "No we do not, we prefer to take in our enemies alive" he thought to himself and said delicately, "and conscious."

He earned himself a glare from Joren, "She got shot by an arrow through her right shoulder by some assassin." _I am not going to tell him that the arrow was aimed for me and by some miracle Kel jumped in the way… damn her._

Darial frowned slightly as he and his men mounted their horses. Arctic Wind and Demon Wind were held with lead ropes connecting them to two of the guard's saddles, they horses shuffled and both looked nervous at the sight of the men. Arctic snorted and stamped the ground with her hoof while Demon whinnied loudly and shook his head, both of their eyes unhappy. He didn't say more on the subject of the assassin as the men surrounded the two with their own horses and began to force Joren to walk back to the castle, they couldn't take the chance that he would gallop away on a horse. 

Joren walked stoically towards the castle, nothing in his expression betraying that his arms or legs might be tired from carrying Kel. Silently to himself he began to assess the situation he was in, _hmmm… the guards are very well trained, they hardly made a sound since the beginning,_ his ice blue eyes narrowed slightly, _damn, I don't see anyway to escape, especially with Kel in my arms like this_. 

Involuntarily he looked down at his prone partner, a frown tugging on his lips at the site of her pale face lying on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed and her face was ashen, due to the blood lose when the arrow was still in her arm. That was a mistake in judgment on his part, if they had stopped, maybe she would still be conscious, but since they continued riding the blood pumped out faster due to all the activity of the moving horse. _Damn girl, she was too proud to tell me that she was seriously hurt._

So Joren donned on an expressionless face and walked slowly towards his… no, their, fate that was awaiting them at the royal palace of Scanra. 

~

As they reached the palace, Kel was still unconscious, and Joren didn't know why. His face creased in agitation as he looked at her no worry on his face, or annoyance for that matter. 

Darial and his men dismounted, three of them left to take care of the horses and return to the stables while the other five continued to form a ring around Joren and Kel. Darial glanced at Joren and his burden, asking, "Why is she still unconscious?"

Joren said bitingly at him, "I just started to take care of her wounds when you guys showed up and made me walk all the way here."

He paused for a second and muttered, "I'm sorry."

Surprise showed on Joren's face before it quickly disappeared, he asked coldly, "Why?"

Darial frowned and chose not to answer, his men seemingly ignoring the entire exchange between them. Instead he began to issue orders, "Thomas!" One of the guards stepped forward and faced him, "Go tell King Balor that we have arrived with the prisoners." The young man nodded and disappeared down into one of the halls, walking quickly towards the throne room. Darial turned to one of the remaining four men, "Andrew!" A tall heavyset man stepped up to him.

"Sir!"

"Go take the prisoners to the lower dungeons, make sure that they don't try anything."

Andrew looked at the slightly tired Joren and the unconscious Kel before turning back to Darial and saying, "Yes Sir!" He motioned Joren with his sword and began to move him towards the dungeons. As they were leaving Darial yet again turned to another man, "Eric."

"Sir?"

"Go to the healers and get some gauze and disinfectant for Sir Mindelan."

A confused Eric asked again, "Sir?"

"Just do it!"

"Yes Sir!" he left quickly, not questioning his superiors orders.

Darial watched his retreating back thoughtfully before turning around and walking slowly to where he knew the King would be.

~

Andrew opened the dungeon door and motioned with his sword, "Get in."

Joren gave a glare at him, but since he couldn't do anything about it he complied with the man's order. Kel was at this point giving a soft moan in pain, slowly coming back into consciousness. He quickly placed her on the ground, carefully though so she wasn't jostled on her hurt shoulder's side. Andrew shut the iron door and locked it, making sure that they couldn't escape, while Joren looked around distastefully at the dungeon's poor conditions, _well… it's not like I expected them to put us in their best rooms for that matter. _

Voices reached his ears, outside of the dungeon door. He looked up from where he was kneeling by Kel side and was greeted by the site of a man with some things in his hands. Joren asked coldly, "What do you want?"

Eric glared at the man before him, but orders were orders. He walked inside the dungeon cell that Andrew was currently guarding and put down near Joren some medical supplies. Saying nothing he walked out of the cell and back to his duties, Andrew locking the door behind him. 

Joren raised a brow at the door, but said nothing more, turning his attention to the things that the man had set down on the ground near him and Kel. His eyes quickly took in the medical supplies, _humph at least they do this much._

A soft moan broke his train of thought and Joren glanced down at his side to where Kel laid. She started to move slowly and her eyes opened slightly, looking up at him, "Joren? What…?" she took a look around at their surroundings before turning back to Joren with confused eyes, "Where are we?"

He answered her with calm; "We are in the lower dungeons in the castle of Scanra."

"What?!" she struggled to get up, a blank mask over her face to hide her pain, doing as the Yamani people had taught her. 

Joren pushed her down lightly, sternly saying, "Stay still, we don't want your wound to get infected," at that he took up the medical supplies and began to doctor her wounds, carefully wrapping the bandages around her arm, trying not to move it to much.

Kel looked at him with wonder; _he's being sorta nice for once…_ She tried asking him, "How did we get caught? Why?"

His eyes narrowed in concentration he answered her absentmindedly, "We were at the lake, you were hurt and I was tending to your wounds," Joren looked at her with a slight smirk, "Remember, you got shot with an arrow."

She scowled at him slightly, "You could at least thank me you know."

"Whatever."

She sighed; knowing that it was as close to a thank you as she would probably get, "Continue please."

He gave a slight nod; "Well while I was doing that, Darial and eight guards came to us with swords, seeing as you were hurt and I couldn't do anything to defend myself because of that…" he glared at her slightly.

Annoyance flared in her eyes, _save a guy's life and he starts complaining how I was to hurt for us to fight…. Not that I didn't expect anything different I suppose._

He continued, "Darial said that we were to be taken prisoners under the charges of espionage."

Kel gave a soft gasp, "How did they find out?"

Joren shrugged, "So I picked you up and carried you to the castle… Mindelan, do you know how fricken _heavy_ you are?"

All he got was a glare from her.

~

"You have been charged with the crime of espionage against the crown," Kel and Joren looked at the King emotionlessly, both not saying anything.

To Kel's annoyance, Radock was there, watching her with something akin to shock, _what a moron,_ she gave a convert glance around herself, evaluating her and Joren's position. 

King Balor continued speaking, "Do you have anything to say for yourself in defense? King Jonathon of Tortall claims that he has no connection to either of you."

Joren's hands clenched and he narrowed his eyes, "No."

With her blank Yamani's face Kel echoed his reply. Around the small room the eager spectators watched them, wondering if they would try to do anything, and if they did, would they succeed. Darial stood next to the King, tense and wary, knowing that if they had a good opportunity to kill the king they would do it now.

Balor intoned solemnly, "The evidence is mounted against you both, the sentence is death. Do you accept?" _not that it matters if they accept or not…_

Joren gave a sharp glare at the king, wishing he could do something, anything to get out of this. So instead he just settled upon not answering at all.

Kel gave a glance at him out of the corner of her eye and followed his lead. Inwardly she sighed to herself; _I DON'T want to die! Maybe… maybe I shouldn't have accepted the assignment. But what else could I have done? Now Joren and I are going to die, goddess, life sucks right now. As if it wasn't bad enough having an arrow shot through my arm, I die the next day._

"You shall die at sunset tomorrow," the king watched them, no pity at all in his eyes. Balor had his duty to uphold and nothing can bar his way from doing so, "Take them away."

Several guards stepped forward and began to shove and push Joren and Kel towards the dungeon once again. They struggled slightly, but not to much to give any guard great concern, they were about to face their deaths anyway so what's the use of killing them now, was what ran through their minds.

Radock looked at Kel's retreating back, appearing to be in deep thought before he turned around and walked away.

~

They sat in the dungeon once again, well not really sitting, Joren was pacing around glaring angrily at anything around him, while Kel was leaning against a wall just watching him. Finally, not able to take any more of his pacing she interrupted his thoughts, "Damn Stone! Sit down and we'll think of a way out of this!"

He whirled around and faced her, cold ice blue eyes staring into her hazel ones; sarcastically he answered her, "Sure we will Mindelan! We'll just take on every guard in the palace, defeating them all easily of course, then go find Balor and he'll tell us _everything_ just because he wants to! Then he'll go tell his people that we're to be let go and free back to Tortall!"

Kel leveled a cold glare at him, "Maybe we should."

Joren stared at her for a moment and smirk, leaning against the wall wearily, "Whatever, do you have a plan?" he gave a look around, "at least I won't be in this hell hole for long if we die tomorrow."

She clenched her fists; "Look there has to be a way out of this…"

"How Mindelan? Have you noticed yet that we are locked up and that you are HURT?"

Finally she blew up at him, her Yamani mask dropping like it never was there in the first place, "AT LEAST I'M TRYING! I WISH AS MUCH AS YOU DO THAT WE WERE GONE FROM THIS FUCKING PLACE! I WISH I COULD JUST TAKE ARCTIC WIND AND DEMON WIND AND WE'D ALL GO TO SOME FAR AWAY PLACE WHERE WE WOULDN'T DIE! I WISH THAT MY ARM WASN'T HURT ANYMORE! I'M TIRED OF IT ALL JOREN!"

Joren looked at her strangely, silent for once, just watching her with a curious look on his face.

Kel spat our angrily, "What?"

"Look down," his voice was quiet.

Her anger drained away at her as she looked at him in confusion, Kel complied and gave a glance down to where the tear drop necklace was shining a bright white, "What the…." It grew brighter and brighter, she and Joren were wrapped in a comforting and warm light, it invaded their senses and left them feeling peaceful and comforted. When it finally faded the duo had disappeared from the dungeon cell.

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A/N:

IceWind: I'm so EVIL! I left it at a cliffhanger again! ^.^

Raen: *smirks and does a dance*

Kaori: *goes bug eyed at him* why are you so happy?

Raen: *grins at her* I'm coming up! I'm coming up!

IceWind: *slams a hand over his muzzle* SHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! *she turns to the readers* hey people! Do you guys like the story so far? Huh??? To tell the truth I LOVED writing this chapter! (well some parts were not that great, like the scene with Balor and the sentencing… err yeah)

Kaori: *sneers at her* they don't care about you, they only answer you because they PITY you!

IceWind: *snarls at her and grabs her by the ears* Stupid Rabblite.

Raen: *watches them solemnly before turning to the readers. Behind him, IceWind and Kaori began to fight once again* Well… I guess this is goodbye! Ja!

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a cherry pie *hands person a cherry pie*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	9. Evil's Rise

Aether Winds

Chapter nine- Evil's Rise

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *smiles and walks up* Hello people! 

Kaori: *hops up grumbling softly*

IceWind: *smiles sweetly at her* Now Kaori, what is wrong?

Kaori: *she was now a neon pink with purple stripes* GRRRR!!! *she was glaring daggers at Icey*

Raen: *he sighed then brightened* YAY!

IceWind & Kaori: *looks at him oddly*

Raen: *blinks* what?

IceWind: err…. Whatever… anywayz! Thanks to…

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Still Wishin: Awww *smiles* It's ok! Really! They are almost done anyway! ^.^ And thanks, I liked that chapter to lol. 

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Jaya: *blinks* It's utterly brilliant? *gets tears in her eyes* WOW! And I only had 2 cliffhangers! (although they were in a row but still) This chapter doesn't have a cliffhanger! (not really anyway)

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Pinkpanther: Hey, since your glad here's another one for your enjoyment!

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Larzdinn: *smiles* I aim to please! And it's ok, your SICK! Get some sleep! Take some aspirin and get better k? *smiles*

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White Lady: *winks* I totally agree with you that Joren sounds like a total hottie. And of course I'm making it Joren/Kel! Hehe

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ACK: Cliffies are fun to write! *snickers* ok, no cliffy for this chapter k? *smiles* and I'm sorry that this is not longer but I planned to have some things in the next chapter… and yeah. Lol. 

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Magick: *goes big eyed* you COMPLIMENT cliffies? *giggles* And err you don't have to wait anymore! (well duh since this is the next chapter) 

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Squire Kali: hehe Sure, sure I missed you lol. You kinda read this ficcy a lot O.o; 20 times? Hehe ^.^

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Rhysati: I'm NOT evil (not totally anyway *grins*) Aww you like the poem to! *happy Icey*

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TiTi: How many times do I have to say that I'm NOT evil!? *chuckles* :P And thanks.

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Sd_tenshi_: Thank you! Thank you! *bows*

I'm asking for 9 reviews again! Anywayz… onto the story!

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When the light cleared, Kel and Joren were standing in the middle of a forest, on a dirt road. Gone was the smell of decaying flesh and gone was the cold and cramped conditions of the dungeon. Instead they found themselves in a brightly-lit forest on a country road, in who knows where. Joren looked around, for once showing something (not quite but close) to surprise and shock. Kel was swaying slightly off to his side, her expression one of complete amazement. He gave a glance over at her, noting that she was just about, _no more_, his mind noted, surprised as he was. 

Finally he cleared his throat, quickly grabbing her attention from the surroundings, asking more harshly then he thought it would come out, "What in the gods names happened Mindelan?!"

Kel bristled slightly at his tone of voice, giving him a slight glare, "How am I supposed to know? I'll I remember is that you said to look down…." Her voice trailed off as she thought about it. She glanced down once again and looked closely at the white gem at her throat. Throughout her entire body she felt fatigue, shock, and more exhaustion then she thought possible, though why was beyond her.

"What is that?"

She looked back at Joren wearily, answering him with calm; "It's a gem I found one morning."

"You just 'found' it one morning then?" his tone indicated that it wasn't very likely that had happened. Joren casually brushed back his hair, the wind blowing around them gently, feeling cool against their skin.

Kel answered him curtly, "Yes, when I woke up from a dream."

Finally he seemed to lose some of his patience with her, "Fuck Mindelan! Where the heck _are_ we?"

She reached a hand out and leaned against a tree, trying to seem casual about it and trying not to show how weak and tired she was at the moment. Kel answered him vehemently, not in the mood to be asked questions, "I don't _know_ Joren! I don't have a clue where we are! All I remember is wishing that we were gone, far away were we couldn't get killed were my words. From the dungeon!" She clenched her fists, clearly not in the greatest of moods; "I don't know why you ask me things, which you _know_ that I cannot answer!"

Joren narrowed his eyes, not trusting himself to speak at the moment, anger apparent in his ice blue eyes. In the distance a lone bird chirped, breaking his concentration for a minute.

In that minute Kel swayed, her energy at an all time low, the world spun in her eyes, exhaustion creeping up to her no matter how much she tried to keep it at bay. Her vision darkened and she clutched against the tree harder, as if she could stay conscious just by holding on. Finally, as Joren focused his attention back to her, the world blacked out completely and she started to fall.

__

Shit! He moved forward quickly and caught her, just as she began to slide down from the tree. She fit against him comfortably, her skin warm… he moved his thoughts to his immediate problem. Joren raised his hand, supporting her with his left arm, checking for her pulse. It beat against his skin, weak, but steady enough not to cause him too much worry. As he began to bring her away from the tree, going to search for a place to rest, the bandage for her shoulder caught on a branch. With a muffled curse he tried to dislodge it, but found that it was caught on to tightly and he didn't want to waste the time to rip the part that was caught off. 

__

Well… I would have to change it anyway; he carefully unwrapped the bandage from her shoulder, trying not to jostle it too much, as the bandage fell off, his mouth opened slightly in shock, _what in the goddess name is happening here?_ There under the bandage lay smooth skin, not a mark or nick on it, much less a scar. 

~

Joren stared at Kel's prone body broodingly, _she still hasn't woken up_ _and it's becoming nightfall_, with a sigh he got up and tended to the fire that he had started earlier. Tossing in more dry twigs and moving around the others with a stick to make it blaze higher. _What happened? Why are we here? What is with Kel fainting all the time?_ That thought was tinged with irritation, _especially when I need answers!_

Finally he heard a soft groan that shook him out of his thoughts; he rose from his place and moved over to Kel, kneeling down beside her, "Mindelan?"

Kel blinked her eyes, trying to get the world back into focus once again. Her voice came out as calmly as she could, laced into it was a tone of tiredness, "Yeah Joren? How long have I been out anyway?"

Joren glanced over at the setting sun, thinking quickly to himself, "For most of the day, we got here about noon, though how I _still_ don't know. You passed out," he gave a slight admonishing look at her, "and so I started to set up camp."

She nodded and began to get up into a sitting position, her eyes sharpening again, and soon she was able to see clearly, "Ok… do you know where we are yet?"

He looked at her incredulously, eyes narrowing a trifle, "I was going to ask _you_ that!"

A sigh escaped her lips, and she said noncommittally, "Uh huh…" 

He didn't say anything for a moment, staring off behind her in the distance in the expression of one who was thinking hard about something to himself, finally he asked, "What was that necklace that glowed or something? I'm pretty sure that it brought us here," suddenly he changed the subject slightly, "and did you notice your wound yet? It's all been healed somehow."

Kel looked down at her shoulder in surprise, a soft gasp escaping from her lips at the smooth skin that greeted her, "What…?" suddenly she shook her head, clearing it, and answered his first question tiredly, "I told you Joren. I found it when I woke up from a dream one day, and kept it ever since."

With slight suspicion he looked at her.

"It's true!"

"Fine," Joren suddenly thought of something important, his eyes thoughtful, "Remember what you were yelling…" He smirked when he saw a light blush stain her cheeks and he continued, "at me?"

Kel gave a slight nod, confusion in her hazel brown eyes.

"Well you 'wished' that we wouldn't be in the dungeons and about to be killed and you also wished that you didn't have that wound," nods at her shoulder, "anymore. That's when your crystal necklace thing started to glow and we ended up here."

She thought that over, digesting the information, then spot a flaw in his thinking, "but I also wished that Arctic Wind and Demon Wind was here with us, and as you can see they aren't." A sigh escaped her lips, even though the idea was crazy, it would at least explain what was going on with her and the necklace.

Joren shrugged, "Maybe it didn't have enough power to transfer the horses with us?"

She blinked once, having not of thought of that, "Maybe…." Suddenly she clasps the gem in her hand, trying to focus on it.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Kel ignored him and suddenly said, wishing on the gem, "I wish that there was some sort of shelter here where we can stay for the night." She then let go and waited tensely; half thinking that it would actually work.

He watched her with some degree of surprise, "The fuck Mindelan!" Joren then also waited, wondering if this would work, _if this thing works, then I'm going to get Kel to get us out of here._

She looked at the gem in dismay, nothing, not even a glimmer emerged from the crystal and she sighed, letting it slip through her hands, falling back onto the hollow of her throat, she said quietly, "It didn't work."

Refusing to dwell on that fact Joren retorted, "Of course not!" Anything else he could have said was cut off by a crackle of nearby leaves. Simultaneously they both tensed up, bodies wary and both severely aware that they didn't have any of their weapons. None had been with them in the dungeon, the guards had removed them all, and no weapons came with them when they transported to this place. Joren unconsciously stood in front of Kel, ready to defend her. 

Inwardly, Kel seethed with agitation; _I am NOT some court beauty that can't take care of herself! I'm a knight of Tortall I can hold my own!_ She refused to think that what Joren was doing for her was kind of nice, if she wanted him to of course, _I don't!_ She shook her head and prepared herself. 

Their caution wasn't for anything, what emerged from the brush gave them both a start, Joren narrowed his eyes at the sight, while Kel took a step back before composing herself, getting ready for the upcoming battle with the… thing. 

What lumbered out of the bushes wasn't any defenseless rabbit or deer; it was, to put it shortly, a monster. It stood easily at five feet tall, and it was plainly seen as all might and power. It was powerfully built, meant to tear and rend, not for speed, with a mottled green and brown hide. It had four feet, its back legs were made for leaping long distances at a time, while it's front was made to rip into its opponents with inches long claws. Six-inch long fangs protruded from its mouth, a stream of saliva dripping down slowly. It's tail was built like a lizards only thicker and more heavy set, making the monster be able to balance on it's hind legs. Cold murky grayish brown eyes looked at Kel and Joren with a predatory gleam. The head was shaped like an alligator from Carthack only its snout was more blunt and thicker. The monster snuffled softly, depending more on smell it seems then sight, it didn't look too intelligent, though it didn't need to be with the deadly accessories it had. With intent, it began to move over at Kel, picking her out to be the weaker of the two since she was shorter then Joren.

"FUCK!" Joren looked at the thing in slight panic; he didn't even have any of his weapons, "Shit Kel! MOVE!" At that he starts shoving her away from the monster.

She looked at him like he was nuts, "The hell Joren? You don't have any chance to survive! Much less win!" Kel looked at the monster, who seemed to be taking its time, nervously; hands going for a sword that wasn't even there. 

The monster went from a stalk to a full out charge, straight at Kel, its claws gleaming a dull gray in the fire's light. She yelped and threw herself aside from its charge, landing and rolling on the forest floor, getting back to her feet as quickly as she can.

Joren grabbed a stick from the fire and waved it in front of the monster's nose, trying to scare it away. His eyes narrowed as the monster ignored the stick and knocked it aside, claws now reaching for him. 

Kel looked at the monster and Joren in shock, _he's going to get himself killed_, wishing vehemently for some kind of weapon she ran at the monster and hit its side with her body, jarring the monster and making it switch his attention back to her. She started to retreat slowly, sweat pouring down her face, ignoring Joren who was currently cursing at her and trying to get to her to help. 

Suddenly she tripped over something, and laid sprawled on the ground in darkness. A frantic expression filled her face as she saw her doom stalking up, her hands grope around in the darkness for something, anything, to help her. They brush against something and she grabs at it desperately, thinking it was a stick to throw. Instead it was the familiar hilt of the sword that the king's champion had given her, Griffin. _What the???_ Refusing to think about it anymore (there were more pressing things to think about) she unsheathed the blade and scrambled to her feet, glancing down where she found the weapon. Her mouth gaped open; the thing that she had tripped on was a pile of weapons, eyes wondering, she almost didn't see the great claws swinging in her direction. 

Joren sprang from his spot and shoved Kel out of the way; the claws sank into his left arm, slicing through it lightly. Blood emerged from his wound and started to drip down his side steadily, he grimaced and thanked the gods that the claws weren't poisoned. The monster's salivating came even faster, smelling the heady scent of blood in the air. It moved quickly at Joren, swinging its claws at him once again. 

Kel quickly moved in with griffin in her hands, slashing the claws away from Joren. He looked at her in surprise, eyes locked on to the sword. Keeping her concentration on keeping the monster away she shouted to him, "Near my foot! A pile of weapons!" She ducked to the side, the monster's tail came whistling inches past her face to smash into the ground, raising her sword she slices it deep into the tail.

The monster howled in pain, eyes filled with hate turned to her and it lunged with surprising speed. Kel fell back as she tried to fend off the monster. 

Joren looked at the weapons in surprise, fighting off his pain as he grabbed what he recognized as his sword. He turned to see Kel laboring to get the monster away from her and quickly acted, raised his sword and thrusting it into the monster's right eye, shoving it as far as he can. A sickly green blood squirted from the wound, spraying all over himself and Kel. The monster howled even louder and thrashed around wildly, scoring a deep gash on Kel's leg. 

She pushed the pain away and ignored it to the best of her abilities, using her Yamani techniques. With adrenaline coursing through her body she moved in for a kill, raising griffin and thrusting it deep into the monsters chest where the heart should be. Blood coursed down the blade and spraying all over her, she didn't care, with her bones aching she pushed down deeper. 

The monster thrashed about even more wildly, Kel and Joren somehow evading its frantic attacks laboriously, their breathing heavy, and sweat running down their bodies. Joren yanked out his blade and struck at the monster's face again, blood from his arm and blood from the monster mixing together. 

Kel used all of her remaining strength to _push_ as hard as she can against the blade; it sank down and pierced the creature's heart. The monster gave a terrible shriek and fell, convulsing on the ground, writhing around in agony. She yanked back her sword and stumbled back, wary.

Joren withdrew his blade from the head of the monster and walked slowly to Kel, now ignoring the monster, "Kel… You all right?"

She gave a tired nod, pointing down, "Only my leg got hit, your hurt also Joren. Look at your arm." Blood was splattered all over the duo, wet and sticky, she felt totally unclean and wished fiercely for a stream nearby to take a bath in and clean their wounds. 

He looked down at his left arm, having forgotten about the pain in the heat of the battle, "It's not to bad. What in Mithros name was that thing?!"

She gave a weary shrug, eyes heavy with fatigue, senses duller. Out of the outer most reaches of her ears she heard the trickling sound of running water with surprise and looked at Joren, wondering if he noticed it, "Joren? Do you hear that?"

Joren was looking at the pile of weapons with a brooding expression before turning to her, "Hear what?"

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He can't hear it, why? She wiped a hand across her face, grimacing as she tried to get rid of the blood, "A stream, not to far off it seems. Let's grab the weapons and head towards there."

He looked at her in surprise, "Stream? I don't hear anything…" Nether the less he began to pick up his assortment of weapons, grimacing when he moved his left arm too much. His eyes widened when he recognized some of them as his, and the glaive off to the side must be Kel's, "Mindelan… how did these weapons come here? I swept the area before and didn't spot them." While saying that he began to place them on his body, _daggers at the waist, sword sheathed at my side…_

She limped over to him and said softly, just as she began to place her weapons on her also, "I wished and they came…"

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A/N:

IceWind: FUNFUNFUNFUN!

Kaori: *ignores her*

IceWind: err guys *looks at the readers* Do you think my fight scenes are ok? Not to graphic or anything? (Personally I think I have to change this fic to be rated R, not only does Joren curse all the time, but I'm going to add in some blood)

Raen: *grins hugely* I'm coming up!

IceWind: *glares at him and he shuts up* heheheeh anwayz… errr… can't really say anything more… Well, what do you guys think? Should I change the ficcy to rated R? *shrugs* It doesn't really matter… and I just realized how LONG this fic will actually be. Please bare with me ok? 

Raen: *nods enthusiastically* I don't think we are even half through the fic yet and this is chapter 9! Nobody minds fics that are long do they?

IceWind: *shrugs* I don't really know… oh well! *grins* Anywayz… bye people! JA!

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a cherry pie *hands person a cherry pie*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	10. Seibutsu Bond

Aether Winds

Chapter ten- Seibutsu Bond 

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *goes big-eyed* do you know how many people REVIEWED??? KEWL! *dances around*

Raen: *is somehow so happy that he joins her*

Kaori: *hops up with a disgusted look* LOOK AT THEM? A bunch of FOOLS!

IceWind: *sticks out her tongue* why stay with us then?

Kaori: *…*

Raen: *laughs* Thanks to…

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Lady k: yay! You like it! Lol. And YES there will be SOMETHING happening between Joren and Kel! *makes a mock frustrated face* how many times do I have to tell you people that? *giggles* ^.~

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Queenscove: oo thanks! ^.^ Well… you can keep on going liking Neal I suppose…. *chuckles* :P I think that when he compares to Neal he's even better! *laughs* But to each their own I'm told!

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Pinkpanther: *grins* Thanks.

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Dj_dim_sims: *hums* two people gave me their e-mail addies, does that mean I e-mail you guys when I get a chapter up? *grins* sure! I can take some time to do that. If anyone else wants me to do that for them also, leave your e-mail addresses in the review place k? And ok, the fight scene wasn't graphic, I know, I didn't try my best to be my evil icky self when writing. I think that I'd keep it this way though.

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Sd_tenshi_: Well, I give you guys two choice, longer chapters but longer time coming out or shorter chapters with shorter times coming out. ^.^ Though I prefer shorter (easier on me lol) 

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The author formerly known as miss julep: hehe, people should keep their names shorter, makes my job easier when writing replies… but its ok! And ooo thanks! *bows*

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Caitie: No, I PREFER it if he really didn't! Then it wouldn't mess up the coming parts of my story lol. Hmm… I'll TRY (keyword is TRY) to have some Kel/Joren stuff in this one, I SUPPOSE. ^.~

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Still Wishin: *pouts* awwww… *perks up* It's ok! I don't really mind! And there is a reason why that Kel is so weak in the last chapter… but I won't tell you here! 

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Jaya: *nods* yup! Magical appearing stuff alright! *whispers* and the signs that tell you when there is a great writer is that they NEVER answer everything at once and quickly, they let the readers come back for more *winks* ehh… I'm not saying that I'm a great writer of course! I'm just emulating some! Hehe. 

Rokjai: I try I try, that's all I have to say! *smiles*

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Squire Kali: Arctic Wind and Demon Wind huh? Where is there? *smirks* You'll just have to read to find out ne? *chuckles evilly*

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HShuler888: ^.^ AWWW how nice! (happy icey!) And I try to update at least once a week or at LEAST once every 2. *prays she doesn't get writers block* lol

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Rhysati: Good thing you don't mind long fics because I promise you that this fic will be one of them… O.o; How long it will be exactly? I don't really know, I can't even estimate hehe. And I don't know why ff.net only lets you review once for each chapter. And the monster thing was NOT a dinosaur, you'll find out what it is (I THINK hehehe *evil laugh*) Fine, I'll leave it on PG-13 no matter WHAT I do… (errr maybe lol) And I wasn't trying to be graphic and gory, when I try… you notice lol. I'll keep them like that I suppose, it seems like a better idea to me! ^.^

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Raven: *grins* How can I write so well? *thinks* I really don't know, I blame it on an over active imagination! (my teachers can testify to that, watching me daydream in their classes and not pay attention to them… *sighs*) And nope, I don't do chapters in advance and make you guys wait for them! (your already waiting, but that's different, I'm actually writing them) 

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Emerald Rose: Thanks! And I will! Hehe seee??? *points down to the story*

I'm asking for 9 reviews again! 9's a weird number to ask for ne? but I like that number! (yes I'm strange, didn't you know that already?) Everyone, thanks again for reviewing *hugs them all* Makes Icey happy! Anywayz… onto the story!

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Kel sat by the fire, cold and shivering, still slightly wet from when she and Joren went off to go clean themselves by a stream. Glancing at her partner from the corner of her eyes she watches him, _why is it that everything bad that happens to us seems to be my fault? That monster wouldn't have came if this crystal didn't transport us here…_ Her fingers lightly ran over the form of the necklace, her face appearing to be one in deep thought. Kel's and Joren's wounds were bound up as best as they both could and they were exhausted by the day's activities. 

Joren gave a yawn, not even bothering with hiding it, to tired to care. Casually, he stretched out next to the fire, trying to keep the cold at bay, the firelight flickering softly in the moonlight. Looking over at Kel, he called out, "Get some sleep Mindelan, we have to get a move on in the morning," he started using his arm as a pillow, "We have to find out where the hell we are."

She sighed and lied back, hazel brown eyes staring up at the moon, _he's back calling me Mindelan… why?… not that I care if he calls me Mindelan or Kel anyway_, Kel turned over on her side, eyes slightly troubled, _we are still enemies…_

Are you?

She looked up with a start, only spotting a resting Joren by the fire, _wha??? Who was that? _Silently she mulled over the question, finally saying defiantly to herself, _Yes we are! Nothing changed!_

The bodiless voice gave a light and airy laugh, Kel sensing that she was the only one hearing her, _My dear… maybe you think that, but I know better. Think about it. _And as quickly it came, the voice departed, leaving a nervous and slightly wondering Kel alone.

~

They started walking along the road, keeping a steady pace. Kel stifled a yawn and grimaced slightly, this would have been much easier if they had horses with them, the only time she remembered that she had to walk this far without one… _well… I don't remember._ She smirked at herself and resolved to not complain, Joren was holding up without a word anyway, and she decided to be just as stubborn as he. 

Joren walked next to Kel easily, a silence upon them both, but it was a comfortable one. He sidestepped a root and bumped shoulders with Kel, looking over at her, then quickly back to the road. Finally he asked, "Where do you think we are?"

She looked over at him, a light wind rustling the trees, birds chirping in the shadows, "I don't really know. The forest looks like it could be right out of Tortall, think that we're home?" the last part was spoken with slight excitement on her voice. Strapped on her back was her long silver glaive, and belted at her side was her sword griffin. Those were the only weapons that she was _openly_ wearing. Joren was only wearing his sword out in the open, assorted daggers hidden on his body with other nasty surprises. 

He thought for a second then shook his head, "No, remember the monster last night? I've never seen that one before, nor have I heard about it."

Kel gave a soft sigh, looking around the bend of the road, "But it could be a new immortal…" she trailed off as she saw that Joren was looking at her with a rather incredulous expression and she hastily added, "I KNOW that there are no new immortals, but it would be nice to hope right?" She mentally sighed as she saw him shake his head.

"No, what's the point of hoping if you know that it's not true?" Joren's voice was slightly bitter, and he began to walk faster. 

She looked at him with slight surprise, wondering if she should voice a question, _no, I don't think I should, he seems rather mad and I don't want that directed at me._ Deciding to be like herself, _hehe when did I stop? _Kel began to scold him, "Joren! You'll get tired before we take a break if you don't walk slower!"

He glanced behind him at her, raising a brow slightly, _funny, she's talking to me like she talks to one of her friends… like Neal or Cleon._

"What?"

"Nothing," without saying a word he began to walk slower, keeping at pace with Kel. 

~

It was about mid-afternoon and they both were getting tired; not only from the walking but the activities they had done in the past several days. Kel was now visibly limping, from the gash on her leg that the monster has given her, and Joren walked trying not to let anything bump his hurt arm. They were still silent, not having said a word in over a candlemark, each trying to conserve enough energy till they reached a village, neither having eaten since yesterday morning. Already the sky was darkening, clouds hovering over the horizon, threatening rain in the near future.

Kel tried to keep her pain behind a blank mask, knowing that the blood seeped through the bandage, she could feel it. No matter what though, she couldn't keep herself from limping in front of Joren, and resigned herself to that fact. She peered up ahead, hoping to see some sort of light, preferably from a village, when she spot a large black thing in the middle of the road. She caste a glance at Joren, saying the first words since over a candlemark, "What is that?"

He looked up ahead, squinting slightly, "What?"

She looked at him with slight surprise, a brow raising slightly; "Can't you see it? Up there," she pointed down towards the thing, watching it warily. It was lying down, but it was too far away for her to tell what it really looked like except for its color.

Joren shrugged and looked once more, hand resting lightly on his sword as he did so, "Hmmm… that black thing?"

"Yes."

His eyes narrowed a trifle, now walking over there faster; _maybe we can surprise it…_ "That's probably another monster thing, get ready." With those words, Joren deftly unsheathed his sword with his unhurt arm's hand, holding it loosely and ready to attack. 

Kel rolled her eyes, making sure that he doesn't see her, _geez, and I thought that I was paranoid, he's even worse_, even though she thought that she unsheathed griffin fluidly, much of it to keep Joren from yelling at her than to keep the 'monster' at bay. With painful steps she matched his pace, grimacing only slightly as she walked closer to the 'thing'.

When they reached it Kel gave a soft gasp, seeing it for the first time. It looked to be a large black cat; panther sized, with a white diamond gem on the middle of its, _his_, forehead. The only difference between it and a panther was that his ears were longer and pointed, his claws were bigger, and he seemed to be more graceful and lithe, though you wouldn't think so with the state he was in right now. He was liberally covered in gashes, cuts, and scrapes, the blood forming a crimson pool around his body, staining his black fur. She immediately sheathed her sword, walking towards it at a fast pace, her eyes expressing concern. 

As she neared Joren yelled at her to come back and the cat-thing weakly opened his eyes, revealing two dark blue eyes. They looked disoriented until they fixed on Kel's rapidly approaching body, and the cat-thing gave a low hiss, signaling her to go away. He tried to raise his head, ears laid back, to somehow scare her off, struggling through the pain to accomplish his task. 

Joren caught up with Kel and roughly pulled her back on her arm, eyes narrowing as he looked down at her face, "Mindelan! Don't try to doctor that thing! It will take off your arm without even trying!"

She glared at him and struggled to pull her arm away. With a low voice she muttered angrily at him, "It's hurt Joren! It can't even stand up! How will it be able to attack me?" At that she wrenched her arm away from his gripped and kneeled down next to the cat-thing's head, stroking it with a light hand, but still cautious, knowing that it might be able to hurt her even if it was so badly injured. _How did this happen? Poor thing…_ She looked down at her tunic and grabbed her dagger, its blade gleaming.

At that sight of the dagger the cat hissed loudly, unable to even move away from the girl. His dark eyes glared at her balefully, as if a challenge to make her strike down on him. He futily tried to get up and away from her, but he failed. With his eyes locked onto hers he awaited the blow that would finish him off.

Kel raises a brow at it, _he seems so intelligent…_ and used her dagger to cut some cloth strips out, using them to clean the wounds and try to bind them, her eyes narrowed in concentration.

Joren looked down at her, trying to control his anger, _figures that Mindelan would be so foolish to attempt something like this, _wordlessly he took out his own dagger and added some cloth strips to her rapidly diminishing pile of them. 

The creature looked up at them in surprise, eyes seemingly highly intelligent and calculating, as he watched them work.

~

Her stomach growled loudly, Kel sighed and grimaced, staring deeply into the fire with an annoyed expression on her face. Joren had went out to hunt while she was here with the cat-thing, _not that I mind of course, it's just that I'm so HUNGRY and this thing can't exactly talk to me._ With that thought she looked over at it where it was resting beside the fire, warming its coat. Mumbling out loud she mused, "What _are_ you anyway?"

She blinked when she saw its eyes turn to look her way and she felt like she was being evaluated and studied closely. The cat thing flicked his tail lightly, it was much better now; to her and Joren's surprise the thing seemed to heal fast, extremely fast, and they didn't really know what to do with it. It couldn't exactly get up and walk away from them yet, but if Kel got in the range of those claws, she wouldn't be surprised if she got cut up into little ribbons before a minute has passed. 

__

I am a hizar…

Kel's head jerked up and she looked around wildly, "What the?" There was a voice inside her head, AGAIN, but this time it was different, more masculine, tinged with barely controlled power. It was also plainly well spoken and seemed to know what it was talking about, _I am? What does that voice thing mean?_

You seem foolish, you asked a question and I answered 

Her eyes locked onto the cat-things, _hizar_, her mind mentally told her, eyes. Hazel to dark blue, both were staring at each other. Finally she gave a slightly trembling smile at it, "H-hello. I'm Keladry Mindelan, you can call me Kel." Her eyes looked shocked with some tinges of amusement. 

The hizar raised his head and gave a grave and cordial nod towards her, _Kel… hmmm… I am called Raen_

She blinked and nodded, loosing some of her shock, saying with a smile, "Nice to meet you Raen!" Kel studied the hizar, wondering why he didn't say anything before. Deciding to voice her question she asked him, "Why didn't you talk before?"

He flicked his tail lightly, mulling over the question; _You are not from here_

Shock once again emerged from Kel's eyes, "How did you know?"

It was as if the hizar could display facial expressions, because Kel would swear that she saw him smirk, _You do not know about the hizar and I find that… strange_

She gave a hollow laugh, "You find that strange? I find this ENTIRE thing strange!"

Raen stared at her for several moments, seemingly in deep thought, finally asking, _Who was that with you?_

Kel smiled, "That was Joren, Joren Stone. Errr… well don't take offense if he wanted to… kill you. We had a bit of trouble with this large ugly green and brown monster," remembering her wound she unbound it and frowned at the sight of the blood, trying to clean it with a rag and binding it up again.

The hizar watched her with interest, _Why didn't you tell him that you were hurt before? _Raen looked at her with slight puzzlement. 

She laughed softly, "And show weakness to him? Or anyone else for that matter?" she grinned at him briefly before securing the bandage, "No thanks, I rather be the Yamani 'Lump' then show weakness."

He stared at her, appearing to be deep in thought, a far away sound of leaves crackling entered their hearing and Kel mummered, "That should be Joren now with SOMETHING to eat."

The hizar gave a slight nod, recognizing the steps to be indeed the one the girl Kel called Joren, _Good, you are hungry and I am also_

Kel gave a grin at him, "I think that I like you already."

Raen sighed and closed his eyes, _Thank you…_

~

Joren walked back to the campsite, holding 4 rabbits that he had managed to surprise and kill with a couple of throwing knives, _humph, one skill that nobody would know about till it's to late,_ he looked at Kel and the creature, handing her 2 rabbits, "Skin them," while she glowered at him, he tossed the other two towards the hizar, "Anything happen while I was gone? And what are we going to do with _that_?" motioning to the cat-thing.

A voice answered I his mind obstinately, _I am not a thing, I am a hizar and my name happens to be Raen_ he looks at Kel and suddenly announces decisively, _and she is going to be my bonded_

Joren jerked his head towards the hizar, eyes widening slightly, "The FUCK!" he turned to Kel, "What the HELL is going on????"

She herself stared at the hizar with wonderment, ignoring Joren, "What? Bonded?"

Raen looked at her straight in the eyes and nodded gravely, _I have decided to become the lady's bond seibutsu _he turned his head to look at Kel, _With your acceptance of course _He then sniffed delicately at the rabbits and wolfed one down easily.

Joren looked at Kel and shook his head, "NO! I don't exactly know what has been happening but Mindelan, you are NOT going to bond with that creature or hizar or whatever it calls itself!"

She glances at Joren sharply, "This is my decision to make! Not yours!" she then turned to Raen, asking softly, "What will happen when we do?"

He answered her seriously; _We are bonded then, feeling each other's emotions. I protect you, you protect me. A partnership if you will; only I cannot leave you, nor can you leave me. If I die you will feel a deep pain, but you won't die, the bond does not extend as far as a lifebond. There is more… but that knowledge will come later. Now do you accept a seibutsu bond?_

Kel looked deeply into the dark blue eyes, sensing trust and protectiveness from him. Licking her suddenly dry lips she whispered her answer, "Yes…" 

__

Joren stood there shocked as he watched them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:

IceWind: OH YEAH! CLIFFHANGER! *giggles*

Raen: *he jumps up* IM THERE IM THERE!

Kaori: *smirks* Who CARES?

IceWind: *glares at her* I DO!

Raen: *sticks out his tongue at Kaori* Hey readers, how did you like me? HUH?

IceWind: *hugs him* I LOVED you!

Raen: *laughs* awww how cute, and I'm going to be BONDED! YAY!

Kaori: *snorts* Being bonded isn't that great

IceWind: *glares at her* Shut up

Kaori: *…*

Raen: *smiles* Well… I think there was nothing else to say so JA!

~

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Facts:

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. (don't ask) 

I think that seibutsu means creature in Japanese, but I might be using it wrong, just don't mind it too much. If I'm wrong just pretend it means creature ok? Hehe ^.^

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a cherry pie *hands person a cherry pie*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	11. Visions Clear

Aether Winds

Chapter eleven- Visions Clear

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *bounds up looking extremely happy* HI EVERYONE!

Kaori: *wrinkles her nose and fluffs out her wings* what's with her?

IceWind: *flashes a big smile* I got over the 100-review mark!

Raen: *chuckles* AND IM IN THE STORY!

IceWind & Raen: *they both laugh and start dancing together*

Kaori: *sweatdrop* errr welll… thanks to…

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HShuler888: *grins* Thankies! And I'm continuing as fast as I can! : P

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FlyingFire: *is just too lazy to write the rest of the name she put down (lol)* Yeah Kel is kinda ooc and if you think about it, I guess Joren is also. Nobody minds too much ne? My commas, alas… *sighs then brightens* And descriptions? Hmmm... fine, I'll try to up the ante! *errr doesn't really know what that means hehehe* It's ok if you're a nit-picker *snickers* I don't really mind all in all. I mean, your just trying to help me right? *smiles* 

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TAFKA miss julep: *grins* Ok, ok, it's not your fault that you have a long name. And thanks, and I'm trying to hurry! ^.^

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Marie: *giggles and winks* I am a K/J fan, it's ok if your not though lol. And aww you're so nice!

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Princess Sanidaylene: lol thank you. And yes, but not Hoshi or Peach Blossom, think of it as if they had rocks in their shoes or something and couldn't go ^_^; And yes when she wishes for something it happens, BUT that's not all of it! To find out you have to keep on reading *evil laugh* hehe. And you will find out about Raen and more about the hizars in this chapter I think. And about the surrounding land, k? And WOW I do have over 9! A LOT more then 9! *happy icey!*

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Rhysati: *smiles* Yup! Raen's here! I'm not sure if I will actually put Kaori in this story though, I'm still thinking about it. (hey what does an avocado grin look like? O.o;) *avocado grin*

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Keladry of Mindelan: I haven't even bonded them yet! *giggles* Raen just asked Kel to, I'll have them bonded in this chapter.

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TiTi: *pouts and winks* You don't love me? Aww ok then! And I DID read your story! *sweatdrop* Don't think of me as good or evil! Think of my as neutral! ^.~ 

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Jaya: *giggles* Your about as nuts as I am it seems! And YAY! No new questions! ^.^ lol

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Je: *blinks* What a short message, but thanks! *grins and bows*

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Catchfire: awww *scuffs her toe on the ground and grins* thanks…

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Rokjai: You people never think about giving authors a break do you? What if I said that I would be taking a month long vacation? *giggles* j/k! I wouldn't really do that to you guys! (not to mention that one of you will find me and bring me to a computer at gunpoint to write… hehe) 

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Diamond_eyes89: *smirks* Awww, seems like a lot of people are telling me that Joren isn't their favorite character *pats her on the back* I hope everything else makes up for it! ^.~

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Goddessnmb1: *sighs dramatically* Tenses are my weak point, and I don't think I can change *pouts* I've tried REALLY! I just don't' understand WHY it's so gosh dang hard for me to do it RIGHT. *calms down and smiles* thanks for the review, I'll try to make it less confusing.

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Xelena: I can leave you there and I did! MWAHAHAHAHA! *coughs and returns to normal* And it's ok for not reviewing sooner! A lot of you guys review regularly and it makes me so happy! *huggies* 

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Pinkpanther: AH! No NOT husband and wife sort of thing… O.o; More as if a partner-partner bond since Raen is a sentient creature *Raen mumbles; dang right I'm sentient* 

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Sd_tenshi_: hehe twists, I love twists *winks* Can anyone tell? And I will try to get it out ASAP and your welcome! (of course I reply to everyone but still lol)

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White Lady: I KNOW everyone loves Raen *pouts* Does that mean nobody loves icey??? Hehe. K/J I think make an AWESOME couple to ^.^ they just don't see eye-to-eye on some things and need a soft SHOVE every now and then. *grins slightly* When he died I was like; HUH? NOOOOOO, ^.^ Good thing we have fanfics, in them he doesn't have to die! 

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Still Wishin: *giggles* You did? Weiiirrdddd lol. 

I'm asking for 9 reviews again! Wow, you know, I can ask for a higher number then 9 but what's the point? I don't wanna seem greedy or anything hehe ^.^ Oh another thing, is this story getting worse? *sweatdrop* 'cause it seems to me like people think that I have a lot of mistakes, oh I don't mind them telling me I'm just asking! Hehe. 

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Kel watched Raen, her hazel eyes curious with not a speck of fear in them, her stance was easy and loose, ready for what might happen, "Is… is that it? I just accept?"

The ebony hizar shook his head, and pushed up from under himself into a standing position, determination to accomplish this task apparent in his eyes, _No, I must perform the bonding. You do not know how, and so I shall do so _slowly he walked towards Kel, bones and joints aching still from his recent wounds, _Stay there_

Joren narrowed his eyes, definitely not liking the turn of events. His ice blue eyes expressed his anger and wariness towards the black creature, for the thing was unknown to them, _how can she just accept like that? We do not even know everything about this… creature._ Defiantly he took a step forward, the sound of his footstep seemingly loud in all of their ears as he fingered the hilt of his black dagger, "No," that was all he said, one word. But that one word was spoken with a cold and menacing quality that made the hizar hesitantly stop and look expressionlessly at the young man. 

It made Kel suddenly feel furious, hot anger running through her veins as she turned her gaze from Raen's to her partner's, Joren. With a low calm voice, masking her tightly controlled animosity, she responded, "Yes Joren. I _will_ have this bonding. You may think that we are in danger with Raen, but I feel differently," she placed a hand over her chest, where her heart was, lightly, "I feel it in here that this is supposed to happen." Slowly her anger leaked away from her, as she tried to understand Joren's own feelings, "Look at Raen!" Her eyes bore into his with astounding determination, voice strong. 

Reluctantly Joren pulled his eyes from Kel's and cast a glance over to the hizar. The weak and hurt hizar, the one who was gaunt and in pain at this very moment, _shit… _He looked back into Kel's, trying to keep a certain aloofness about him still, suddenly feeling as if he was fighting a loosing battle. 

A soft voice whispered into his ears alone, _Leave them be, cold one. In time you will understand… In time you will thaw…_

His head jerked up, _what?_ Eyes searched around, fingers now clutching the dagger's hilt, ready to draw it any second. His stance became tense, unable to locate where the voice was coming from.

__

Leave them be… it is meant to happen, do not try to stop it, and as quickly it came, the voice disappeared back to where it came from. Leaving nothing of itself behind except haunting word's imprinted upon Joren's mind. 

He reluctantly looked back down into Kel's now concerned, hazel brown eyes. _I should not mention this… but how can I let her do this bonding thing? It might hurt her… leave them be? Fine, but she gets hurt I kill this Raen thing._ Refusing to think about his new protectiveness over the Kel, _I don't wish to be stranded here alone…_ Joren finally muttered, "Fine, but Kel…"

A slow smile suddenly spread across her face, she really didn't expect Joren to back down, _maybe people do change…_ and she suddenly relaxed her hands, which she had subconsciously clenched into fists during her argument with him, "What Joren?" Her eyes probe him, still slightly confused about what made his head jerk up like that in the first place. 

Joren's usually cocky smirk was once again on his face, "Don't get killed, it's still your fault that we are here."

A scowl quickly replaced her smile, but her eyes still held traces of amusement and happiness, "Fine, I won't. We can start now," she directed this last part to the ever patient Raen, who was currently leaning against a tree, trying to conserve his energy. 

The hizar gave an almost imperceivable nod, and pushed off against the tree; softly the gem on his forehead began to shine a silver color as he approached. With each step the shine got brighter until it was almost too bright to look at. Kel stared into the Raen's dark blue eyes, unbeknownst to her a circle of silver energy ringed her and the hizar, blocking them both to any outside interference. Joren watched them expressionlessly, arms crossed on his chest, waiting for the ceremony to end. 

Raen stopped directly in front of Kel, shimmering energy flooding throughout the constraints he had set up in all different colors, the majority to be silver and white. His mind-voice soft he told her, _Take the dagger_

Kel looked at him, eyes slightly confused, _dagger?_ Her mind questioned, _where?_ The energy suddenly brightened, light seemingly flooding into a small space in front of her. The white and silver energy swirled in a circle, molding and shaping, the intensity of the light almost blinding. With a small explosion of power it was done, a perfectly wrought white and silver dagger floated in front of her. It was exquisite, the craftsmanship incomparable by any other. Next to it was another soft ball of white/silver energy, whirling around in a frantic pace, still crafting, still making. It also gave a small explosion, and what lay before her was a silvery-white chain that was joined at both ends into a circle. It floated down to the front of the hizar where it waited. _The dagger_, she cautiously reached out a hand towards it, eyes full of wonder and excitement. A tingly feeling ran through her arm as she clasp the hilt in her grasp and pulled it towards herself, task done she looked back at Raen, a smile playing on her face. 

The hizar's eyes shone with an emotion she couldn't make out. Slowly, silently, Raen stepped towards the chain and put his head through the circle. The chain and dagger began to pulsate together in harmony, each one glowing brightly, swiftly he looked Kel in the eyes and mentally shouted to her, _The dagger! Cut the palm of your hand and hold it out in front of you!_

Her eyes locked onto his, expressing her confusion, but she trusted him. With the elegant dagger she slashed the palm of her hand, crimson blood welled up in the cut and slowly began to drip out, curiously she felt absolutely no pain, as if she was detached from it. Kel thrust out her hand, palm side up, a pool of blood collecting in it, hiding the vicious cut.

Raen lost no time, in two short strides he bounded over towards her, lowering his head and lapping up the blood. Not a drop escaped his tongue and when no more blood lay in her hand he looked up and caught her gaze with him. 

Kel felt something akin to shock course through her body, but she trusted Raen this far, she will continue to trust him. As she let her hand drop back down to her side, nothing could be seen of the cut, it had been completely healed. 

With a low mind-voice, the hizar started the incantations, eyes still on Kel's. _Penso exhibeo exibeo _i_s ea id. Minuo advoco. Penso desiderium insum iugum. Expletus mihi, uterque_

Her eyes bespoke of wonder, the light around them stilled and began to glow even brighter in its acceptance. With shock, Kel realized she understood what Raen had said, an ancient memory tugging in her mind, _We offer this. Let blood call. We wish to be bonded. Complete me, us! _A serene smile appeared on her face and she closed her eyes when the light got to bright for her eyes. 

Kel opened her eyes when she sensed that the light had faded, with a small smile she looked down at Raen, her hand still carrying the dagger. Shock entered her eyes at the sight of him; the hizar had been completely healed with absolutely no signs of any scars on his body. 

Raen stood still, just watching his newly made mistress with happiness in his eyes, _Can she feel the bond?_ In his mind he felt a presence that was Kel, solid and warm. The bonding had been a complete success. As he took a step forward, his ears pricked up slightly as he heard a faint noise. With a glance down, Raen noticed that the chain was still around his neck, one of the proofs of the bonding. It was incredibly light, yet Raen knew that the only way that the chain would break is if the bonding was cut off, and to accomplish that one of them had to die. _Not that it would happen anytime soon_ Adjusting to the feel of the chain, he gracefully moved towards Kel, his body feeling stronger than it had been in a long time. The only thing more powerful then a seibutsu bond was a life-bond, and the latter was something only another humanoid could accomplish with his mistress.

Ice blue eyes watched them both quietly, Joren still trying to digest the fact that Kel had been bonded. He would never admit it, but during the ceremony he felt sort of worried for the Mindelan, especially when he saw that she had slashed her palm and the hizar had drunken the blood. Suddenly he shook his head to clear these rather annoying thoughts and said calmly, as if he saw a bonding everyday, "Now that's done with, let's set up camp."

~

Kel smiled to herself, feeling the hizar move around in the back of her head, _it might take a while, but I'll get used to it._ She was sitting down, back against a log, eyes watching the playful flames of the fire leap around in bright red and yellow sparks. Slowly she brought her eyes down to the silvery-white dagger in her hand. Its weight was just heavy enough, the balance perfect. The edge was extremely fine and honed to perfection. Secretly she suspected if she smashed the edge against a rock, it wouldn't even be nicked, _hmmm… I shall call is Silver Falcon._

__

You now name your weapons Mistress? The lithe hizar raised his head from where he had been lying down on Kel's right side, eyes deeply amused. After he was all healed, Kel and Joren had been shocked at Raen's size. They had known that he was large, but they never suspected that he was the size of a panther. 

Joren looked up from the roasted rabbit he was eating, from his place across the fire and Kel. A smirk appeared on his face as he cracked a bone and sucked the marrow from it, "Mindelan is strange that way, she even named her sword!" His smirk only got bigger as he spotted the scowl she was sending his way.

A sharp mind-voice reprimanded him from the resting hizar, _My Mistress is not strange!_ Raen's ears were pricked towards Joren, dark blue eyes perfectly serious. 

Kel blinked, clearly not expecting the hizar to have that kind of reaction. She raised a hand to her mouth, stifling her laughter, while slipped the Silver Falcon into a knife sheath strapped to her arm. She cast a glance at the annoyed Joren, eyes twinkling with mirth.

Joren gave a soft snort, mumbling something about hizars and that time of the month that females get, _they must get it to, no matter what gender,_ then fell silent as the hizar leveled a small glare in his direction. He and Raen locked eyes, the tension mounting between them. Joren narrowed his eyes a trifle, while Raen laid back his ears slightly back against his head. 

"Raen…" Kel said hesitantly, trying to break the tension between Joren and her bond seibutsu. Both of their hands swung in her direction, two pairs of blue eyes, one light and one dark, watching her. Annoyance flared in her eyes, directed at Joren and Raen. Immediately she masked it over and put on an expressionless face, holding her emotions tightly before she spoke, directing her questions to the hizar, almost ignoring Joren, "Where are we?"

Joren gave an almost hurt look in Kel's direction before putting on a smooth mask of indifference, waiting to hear Raen's answer. Slowly he slipped out his ebony dagger and a piece of cloth, pretending to be absorbed in his work, while keeping his hearing focused on the coming conversation. 

__

The world of Medea… the hizar calmly watched as Kel gasped and Joren slip his grip on his dagger, proving his suspicions that his Mistress and the other was not from this world, _I cannot diverge fate from it's path, I shall tell them only what they need to know._

"What?" Kel's eyes were slightly wide, trying to take in the information that they were in another world. She suddenly fixes a gaze on Raen, eyes serious, "How? Why?" With most of her attention on the hizar, she vaguely sensed Joren continuing to work on his dagger.

__

I can not tell you what is not told to you beforehand. I am not a guide, I am just your bonded… Raen's mind-voice trailed off, dark blue eyes in thought, ears lax and listening. Finally he began to speak once more, _And I seem to have to be your teacher in some aspects_

Her eyes were confused, as a wisp of hair fell across her face, she almost mechanically brushed it away, "Teacher? In what?" Her tone held that while she would allow him to keep some secrets, this was a different matter. She shifted her body so that she faced the hizar; a soft crackling of leaves filling the silence in the air as she moved.

Raen gave a mental sigh, audible in both Kel's and Joren's minds, _tell them only what they need to know… and I shall do so._ His eyes lock onto Kel's hazel brown ones and mind-spoke with seriousness; _In your… powers_ His gaze traveled down to where the white tear drop gem lay, before looking back into his Mistress's eyes. 

That's when Joren looked up sharply, directing a glare in the hizar's direction, his ice-blue eyes like a frigid glacier, "How can we trust you? And what powers does Mindelan have?" His dagger lay forgotten in his hand as he focused his full attention on the conversation. 

Kel mentally sighed, _figures that Joren would be so suspicious,_ but she wouldn't argue with him. She knew that Raen needed to be trusted by Joren and that she really wanted to know what the hizar had meant by her 'powers'. Her eyes met with Joren's, trying to send him her support. 

Raen watched Joren, his teeth slightly bared, showing long white rows of sharp teeth, _NEVER, EVER question MY allegiance to my Mistress! _His mind-voice was vehement, his fur starting to bristle, _I would DIE to save her life!_

Joren looked slightly startled at the sincerity of the hizar's mind-voice, but he masked it over quickly, refusing to show that he was convinced. With his voice full of sarcasm he said, "Surreee… I believe you," a smirk appeared as the hizar lunged up, a low hiss escaping its mouth. _Maybe this isn't the smartest idea… No. I have to find out if what this hizar said was true and that we could trust him_. He looked cool and collected, opening his mouth to say more when Kel jumped up and went to Raen, looking at them both.

"Stop it!" She looked furious at them both; one hand on Raen's back to keep him from jumping on Joren. Kel's voice was low and deadly as she spoke, "Joren, we can trust Raen, I know it. He was NOT lying, I felt it through our bond," she turned her head towards Raen and continued, "And Raen, you HAVE to tell us more about this land, hizars, and my powers! Now lie back down and forget about what Joren was talking about." She glared at them both, stance tense and ready to stop them if they tried to fight.

Raen looked up at Kel, and gave a slight nod, smoothing down his fur as he lay back down onto the ground. His ears were slightly flat, as if an apology to Kel, and his eyes moved to where Joren sat as he began to speak; _I can not tell you about the land, only about the surrounding countryside. I shall tell you about hizars before I tell you of your powers because it would be easier to explain_

Joren looked down with disdain at the hizar, _he gives in so quickly to Kel_, but continued to listen, relaxing his muscles from when he thought that the hizar was going to attack. 

Kel gave a slight nod at Raen, sighing inaudibly with relief as she once again sat down, back to the log. Her expression spoke of curiosity at the coming topic, "Ok Raen, tell us about the hizars." _Maybe he will tell us why he got into such a bad position when Joren and I found him…_ She thought about the poor state Raen was in with the cuts and slashes on his body, and she broke out of her reverie as Raen began to talk.

__

The hizars are a proud and noble species, gifted with many different kinds of magic… His mind-voice seemed to have sort of a singsong kind of pitch, as if he was telling a story, _We live in large packs, usually consisting of twenty hizar. Our magic comes in ten forms… water, fire, earth, air, lightening, ice, light, dark, psy, and…_ his mind-voice suddenly was cut off and he looked disoriented for a second. Quickly he shook his head to clear it, eyes slightly confused; _the last was the most powerful…_

Kel's eyes were intensely curious,_ my dream…_ and she whispered softly to him, "What is the most powerful called Raen?"

The hizar looked up at her, eyes guarded; _I cannot tell you yet Mistress, all I can say is that I hold it_

Joren looked as if he was going to wring the hizar's neck for keeping more secrets from them, but his sharp retort was cut off by a shake of Kel's head and a warning look from her. He gave a dark frown at her, clearly not liking the situation, _but Raen is not my bonded…_ he leaned back against a tree, watching.

She gave him a slight smile back, mouthing 'thank you'. Kel then turned to Raen, saying gently, "It's ok, keep going."

Raen quickly started up once again; _Hizar's live in a society with one alpha male and one alpha female. The alpha male MUST have the strongest power, but the female may be anyone of his choosing. There may only be one with the strongest power in a pack; the rest that may be born are cast out of the pack when they get old enough to fend for themselves_

Joren's mind whispered to him, _like a wolf's pack, yet they seem to be more like felines than canines to me._ He was curious about the hizars, even though he would never admit it in the range of Raen's hearing.

__

We show our powers by the color of gem's on our head, and how strong that power is also determined by the gem's color He lowered his head slightly so that Kel and Joren could see the bright silver of his gem before continuing, _the strongest power of a hizar is silver, the stronger the power will be, the brighter the gem. I am very powerful_ his mind-voice was arrogant as he voiced the last statement. _When we use our powers our eyes glow the same color. For example, when I use my power my eyes turn silver. A fire hizar has a red gem, a water hizar has a blue gem, an air hizar has a grayish gem, an earth hizar has a green gem, a dark hizar has a black gem, a light hizar has a light yellow gem, a lightening hizar has a dark yellow gem, an ice hizar has a light blue gem, a psy hizar has a purple gem, and the alpha male hizars have silver gems_ Raen delicately avoided telling Joren and Kel what kind of power he had, _But we are not the only ones who have this system of magic_ He debated with himself if he should tell more, with a mental nod he pushed on with his story. _The elves also have this system… though their magic is even stronger than ours is…_

Kel quirked a brow, her eyes now amused, "Elves? You mean those little human like things that wear all green?"

Raen looked at her and shook his head, his mind-voice serious, _Do not make fun of the elves. They are the only things here that the hizars would fear if we feared anything at all_ He deliberately ignored the snort that came from Joren, _The elves are around your size mistress, and they all have gems such as hizars do. They aren't the delicate elves that you seem to think that they are, in fact, I do not believe there is a human that could beat one without using their mage energy, that is if the human has any. The human would have to use all their power and hope that they have more magic energy then the elves do, and none, not even an adept, or black-robes as you call them Mistress, stand a chance against one with a color gem such as mine. Though the elves with that color gem are very rare, in average, one with a silver gem shows up once in 1000 years… and the white gem, the most powerful form of the silver ones, showed up only once in history, and he died when a he gave up his life to prevent the world of Medea itself of being destroyed_

Joren mulled over the information, finally deciding on what to ask, "What can the silver gemmed do? The red gemmed control fire, the blue ones water, and so on, but what about the silver ones?"

His mind-voice proud, he replied with enthusiasm, _They control everything… and more _at Kel's and Joren confused looks he smirked mentally and elaborated, _We can control all the elements and do more… and our control over elements excel even the best the single elements can do_

Their expressions cleared and Kel smiled, "Wow, I hope I can digest all of this information… what about my power? I didn't think that I had the gift Raen."

With an incredulous look, Joren sighed, _she doesn't understand… I don't completely do either but I have my suspicions…. _

Raen looked fondly at his bond partner, _You have magic, and I shall train you in them. And while we are training, I shall guide you both to the elves along the way…_

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A/N:

IceWind: *grins broadly* Now if THAT wasn't FULL of details then I suck and can't write!

Kaori: *mutters* You suck and can't write.

IceWind: *whirls and faces her, eyes narrowing* YOUR EVIL KAORI!

Raen: *watches them and chuckles*

IceWind: *she sighs and calms down* Anyway, how do you guys like this chapter huh? I found it fun!!! And I actually started to explain some things right????

Kaori: *smirks* whatever

IceWind: *ignores her* and guess what? Since my goal of 100 was passed I set a new goal of 150! ^.^ FUN!

Raen: *chuckles* Oh yeah, and I seem great don't I? *puffs out his chest*

IceWind: *laughs* Yup! You were great Raen! And readers *grins* That incantation that Raen was speaking in when the bonding happened was in Latin. I don't think that it's exactly right but I tried huh? *chuckles and winks* all I can hope for is that none of you are Latin scholars. This chapter was a LOT of words, it doesn't look too long because it doesn't have a lot of spaces… but anyway, nothing else to say so bye-bye! 

~

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Facts:

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Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

I think that seibutsu means creature in Japanese, but I might be using it wrong, just don't mind it too much. If I'm wrong just pretend it means creature ok? Hehe ^.^

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Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a chocolate *hands person chocolate*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	12. Magic's Awakening

Aether Winds

Chapter twelve- Magic's Awakening 

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *she sits down and pouts* Is the before and after stuff really annoying? *mumbles something about lazy people who can't just scroll down* 

Raen: *he bounds up and gives a shrug* I don't know…. How about if you just reply to those who ask questions or you feel like you really want to answer?

Kaori: *snickers*

IceWInd: *ignores Kaori and hugs Raen* Awww good idea! *she turns to the readers* So that's what I will do from now on unless you guys want me to go back to the old way I was doing everything. *gives a nod* 

Raen: *pricks his ears and reminds Icey* Remember the other thing you have to tell them?

IceWind: *nods* Yup! People, this story DOES have a plot! I just happen to be hiding it rather well lol. Remember before there was the time in Scanra where Kel and Joren were spying on the King and co, finding out some stuff. Then there is Kel's necklace, and then they get sucked into another world. So they have to get back to their world, find out what Scanra is doing, and find out what the gem is. That is the gist of the plot SO FAR, I will kinda be adding more later ^.^ 

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Raven: I don't like reading cliffies, but I guess I like writing them! *chuckles*

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Hshuler888: *grins* It was a real language, Latin. I'm sure that it's not grammatically correct hehe, but I tried! And if you were in the class of one of the most powerful in your species wouldn't you be snobbish? I'm trying to think in their terms. Well, I needed them to have a blood bond so I added the drinking blood part, sorry if you didn't like that.

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Catchfire: Now if I told you I would be giving away everything that's going to happen right? *smirks* 

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Squire Kali: hehe, yeah I'm going to stop asking for reviews since so many review anyway!

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Rhysati: *laughs* Oh! That's what you meant then! And the elves, yup like the LOTR ones, and I did see the movie I LOVED it. Now just to tell everyone, I had the idea of the elves BEFORE I even HEARD of the movie lol, I was reading a book with them in it and decided to include them in my story. 

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Larzdinn: *grins* It's ok, really. You think I'm improving? Awww thanks! *mumbles* I hate tenses, I try and try to fix them but it never seems to work, that's my one weakness lol. 

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Kel looked at Raen with curiosity in her eyes, "The elves? Why?" Her scrutiny over Raen caused the hizar to fidget slightly.

Joren flicked a piece of hair from his eyes, while glaring down at the hizar with malevolence, "No."

Raen jerked his gaze from Kel, turning to face Joren, annoyance clearly written in his gaze, _What do you mean? I do not care about YOU I care about my Mistress_ He tossed his head and looked back at Kel, ignoring the fuming Joren behind him, _Because they will be able to instruct you in the more… complex part of your powers_

She gave a look towards Joren, her uncertainty expressed through her hazel eyes. He was still glaring at Raen, his stance slightly tense as he retorted, "I don't care if you don't care a shit about me, what would Kel think if she abandons her country to go traipsing around this world? We have to get back to our world and back to our lives!" His anger was heard as he spoke, and he moved one hand to the hilt of his dagger, lightly fingering it.

Kel's fists clenched slightly and now she glared at them both, "Joren, don't TRY to make me feel guilty, I feel guilty enough! I know what I have to do for the crown and I'm not saying that I'm going to stay here!" She then turned her attention to Raen, calming down and putting on a blank face, even though she knew he could feel her emotions, "And as for you… Joren is right. I have to get back to my own world, and you shouldn't be so impolite to Joren you know. He is my partner for this… mission."

Raen looked with undisguised disgust toward his Mistress's partner, there was something more then just the others arrogance though…. _That is why I am taking you to the elves Mistress… they are the only ones who can help you get back to your world_ He finished his mind-sentence, ignoring what she said about Joren. 

She gave an inaudible sigh as she saw Raen ignoring Joren and Joren sneering down at Raen, _I wonder why they don't like each other…_ "I guess we have no choice then, let's go to see the elves!" Suddenly she stops and glances at Joren, a question in her eyes.

He frowned and dropped his hand from where it rested by his dagger, "Whatever, we have to get out of here quickly though. And we don't have supplies, we have to go to a town first."

Kel smiled slightly before she returned to her normal expressionless face, with a nod at Raen she spoke, "We'll leave in the morning… and Raen?"

The hizar looked at her, tilting his head slightly to the side, _Yes Mistress?_

A smirk slowly dawned on her face, "We're on a deadline, I hope you can teach me how to use magic in less then a day, in fact… I'm only giving you tonight. While it's important to learn what I can do, Tortall comes first." The last part she states firmly, seriousness apparent on her face. 

Joren gave an unconscious nod in approval towards Kel's actions, a smirk hovering on his own lips, "I hope you know what your getting drawn into Cat."

Raen swiveled his head and gave a cold glare at Joren, eyes indignant, _I am not a CAT!_

~

The hizar sat down, watching his Mistress patiently, _Try again _Amusement colored his mind-voice as he watched Kel try to master her powers. He was stretched out beside the softly burning fire, dark blue eyes intent. 

She gave a glare at him, eyes narrowing in her concentration, before she complained, "I'm supposed to think of _fire_? To make fire? You do _not_ make sense Raen!"

Raen gave a soft snort, slightly displeased with her progress so far, he tucked his tail underneath him as he replied, trying to be patient, _You are the one who wanted to learn it all in one night Mistress… which is about impossible may I add_ Irritation slowly crept up onto his mind-voice. 

Joren gave a smirk from his nearby spot, he was on his side lying down, watching the over grown cat try to teach Kel how to use magic. _Looks like their not going anywhere,_ they have been trying to make her do at least a puff of flame, but for the past two candle marks she didn't seem to be accomplishing anything. Idly he gave a glance around, before putting his gaze back onto Kel. First the hizar tried to teach her how to go inside herself to pull the power out, but that didn't seem to work very well. She could see her power, but she couldn't use it, not yet anyway. Joren mused over that fact, ice blue eyes intently watching Kel struggle to do what the hizar wanted her to. _The hizar seemed to have given up with his, 'pulling power' out of Kel trick and seems to be trying to just make the magic appear. Stupid over grown cat._ His eyes expressed his contempt for the entire thing, _damn it, all we need to do is get back to our world, find out what the Scanrans are doing, and give the information to the king. Now Kel is here learning whatever and we have to go find some elves since they are the only ones that can help us._ His thoughts were dark as he reflected on what had happened so far. 

Kel gritted her teeth in frustration, hands clenched to her sides, eyes narrowed in intense concentration. She could almost… almost… no… She sighed softly and tried again, every time she reached for her power she was close, but she couldn't seem to be able to reach it. It always seemed to get close then move farther away. Anger gradually showed on her face, no matter how many times she chanted to herself to be like stone. It wasn't often that she gets showed up in something, she usually accomplishes whatever she has to do with skill and precision, but with magic… that was not the case. 

Suddenly Raen's head jerked up, eyes now on full alert as his sensitive ears picked up a foreign sound. He glanced around him and slowly got up, warning Joren and Kel with a flick of his tail. His body went tense as a crashing sound drew closer and he whirled around to face it, hackles raised, teeth bared, and a low hiss emerging from his mouth. 

Joren lurched up from his position, deftly unsheathing his sword quickly; "The hell is going on?" He held his blade firmly, ready for anything that might happen, while he went down into a fighters crouch. 

Kel was to deep in her concentration to see what Raen and Joren were doing, _almost…almost… DANG!_ Annoyance was written all over her face as she began to try to make her magic appear once more, her entire being focused on her task, and unknowing of what was coming. 

Suddenly a rather loud mind-voice broke through her concentration, _Mistress! We are going to need some help!_ Raen never looked from the place where the sound was coming from, the noise began to grow louder as the thing came nearer. 

She heard Raen and gave a slight glare at him, obstinately waving her hand at the hizar and Joren, "No, you guys can take care of it. I'm still trying to do this! I bet it won't be more then a bear or something at the most." Kel once again returned to her concentration, not believing that whatever was coming was a big enough threat. 

Joren rolled his eyes and kept his gaze locked onto the brush, eyes narrowed, _this thing is much too big too simply be a bear. I am going to drag Mindelan's butt up and make her fight this thing no matter what she says._ About to follow through with his thoughts, Joren stopped short when he finally saw the thing that had crashed through the brush and into the small clearing, "Oh shit…" was all he muttered, eyes locked onto the huge creature. 

It's head reached up to the top of Joren's. The creature was pure black with dark eyes. It seemed to be shaped somewhat like a jaguar that Joren had seen in a menagerie when he had visited Carthack. The eyes were huge, and it was evidently a nocturnal creature, which could see in the dark. It had a curved flexible tail, just like a monkey's with spikes in a row down its back. The body was completely encased in plated scales, and when the creature bared its teeth, all he could see was long 6 inch fangs, protruding from it's mouth. It was built heavily, seemingly slow, but heavily fortified. The creature opened his mouth and gave a voiceless roar, making Joren aware that the thing was mute.

__

A Jerogil! Raen's eyes were large as he stared at the coming creature, _They are usually friendly and do not pick fights with others! _The hizar gave a low warning hiss towards the Jerogil, eyes alert and ready. 

"The fuck they are!" Joren glared at the creature, now holding his sword a little more tightly, "That thing doesn't seem friendly to me!" 

The Jerogil raised its head, eyes scanning the grounds before they fell onto Kel's body. Slowly it walked over to her, claws gripping the ground and leaving deep marks from where he walked, teeth bared slightly. Kel was unaware of its approach, still seeking within her to try to use her powers. Her hands were clenched upon her lap, little beads of sweat noticeable on her brow. 

Joren ran swiftly towards the creature and raised his sword, slashing downwards upon its chest, the blow slide off the armor plates, not hurting the Jerogil at all, "Damnit! Kel, get off your butt and help up!" He watched the creature tensely, eyes searching for a weak spot.

Raen launched himself from his position, claws raking at the creature's side, yet they too had no effect, _Mistress! Use some of your powers or something! _Secretly he hoped that she would be able to use them, knowing that his own powers would slide off the Jerogil's plates. 

The Jerogil turned his attention towards Joren and Raen, and struck out at them. Its claws caught Joren in a glancing blow on the leg, rivulets of blood seeping through his breeches and into the ground. Its tail curled around Raen's neck, starting to chock him, while the hizar struggled against him.

Kel winced as the sound of Raen's mind-voice cut through her concentration. Her back was to the monster as she opened her eyes, her expression clearly annoyed. Not totally hearing the sounds of the struggle since the monster was mute and she was still partly concentrating, she spoke bitingly, "Look Raen! I CAN'T use my powers yet ok? I can't just suddenly make the bear burst into flames just by saying _fire_!" She closed her eyes once again, striving to become calm enough to do what she wanted.

Behind her the Jerogil became aware of a searing heat as it burst into flames, Raen, who was still attached to the tail quickly did a protection spell around himself to ward of the flames. Joren eyes grew slightly larger as he watched the monster open its mouth in a soundless roar, thrashing around in anger. The fire didn't hurt him too much, the armor prevented that. In the Jerogil's anger, his tail around Raen's neck loosened slightly and the hizar wrenched himself free, landing beside Joren to watch what was beginning to unfold. 

With sudden insight the hizar looked towards Kel and began to goad her into doing something again, _Mistress I believe that you can!_ He then turned his attention to the creature who was nearing Joren and himself, eyes serious as he assessed the situation, _can Mistress do something like that again?_

Joren gave a scathing look towards the creature, ignoring his pain as the blood continued to drip out of his wound. He held on tightly to his sword, knowing that he couldn't do anything yet, _the fuck did Mindelan do?_

Kel opened her eyes once again, she was starting to get slightly ticked off at the interruptions she faced, "Look Raen! I CAN'T DO IT YET! Whatever you do to make your magic appear is probably easier then how I do it! All you probably do is have to say _ice_ or something, but I have to keep reaching for my magic, not if you _please_ finish driving off the bear and let me concentrate!" 

With a soft snort Joren looked at Kel, _she still fricken thinks that we are fighting a BEAR, Mithros… _Suddenly he jerked his head towards the Jerogil, eyes slightly disbelieving. 

What he saw was that the creature was surrounded in a chilly ice layer, which cracked through the plates because of the rapid temperature change. The armor cracked and some of it actually fell off, leaving large gaps in the armor. The Jerogil now had something akin to panic appear in its eyes, now backtracking away from the two humanoids and the hizar. 

"I don't think so," Joren sneered at the creature and leaped, his sword slashing down into the neck, cutting through the soft flesh as the blood spurted out a crimson red. He narrowed his eyes and gave one final stroke, slicing through the jugular and killing the Jerogil almost instantly. He watched emotionlessly as the creature writhed and finally laid still, turning around he walked over to Kel, and began to shake her shoulders with one hand since the other was still grasping his sword, "Kel!" 

She jerked from her position and looked up into his ice blue eyes, her own agitated from the constant interruptions, "What is it Joren?" Without a word he gestured to something behind her, with a sigh Kel realized that he wouldn't leave her alone until she looked, so she glanced over her shoulder… and at the dead Jerogil behind her. Her eyes widened slightly, "Goddess, what happened?"

Raen walked over to her, eyes proud at Kel's unknown accomplishment, _You Mistress_

Joren released his hands from Kel's shoulders when he noticed that she saw the Jerogil, a brief smirk appeared on his face, "It wasn't a bear Mindelan."

Shock entered her eyes, coupled with confusion. Kel got up from her position and inspected the dead creature, finally turning towards Joren and asking, "How did I do this?"

Instead of Joren, Raen answered her, his mind-voice distinctly arrogant, _I knew you could do your magic Mistress!_

~

Kel looked up at the starlit sky, wondering to herself about what had happened a few candle marks ago. Off some ways to the right of her, a sleeping Joren laid peacefully down on the ground, and off to the left side of her, Raen was sleeping. _I can't believe… how…? My life seemed to be perfect until I got this crystal_ With one hand she raised the necklace from her neck, eyes glaring at it coldly, she was tempted to just throw it away, far away, and forget about it… _But I can't can I? This thing brought me here, and if I just throw it away… then how will I get back to Tortall? And Joren would kill me… not that I care too much about what Joren thinks. _A soft sigh escaped from her lips, eyes troubled, _I… kinda feel sorry for him, if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't even be dragged here… with a person he despises, in the company of an over grown cat who he also hates. _For some unknown reason her eyes got slightly watery, _stupid emotions… I am like stone… _She continued to chant that sentence to herself until she fell asleep. 

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A/N:

IceWind: *grumbles softly* Hey, sorry this chapter came out late and it's short… and I didn't really like writing it. 

Raen: *he shrugs and whispers to the readers* She had a writer's block for this chapter, she didn't know how to get Kel to use her powers in one chapter.

IceWind: *nods* Yeah, since I'm sure people really didn't want me to drag it out… grrr. Anyway, the next chapter will be much better, promise! I was going to add another part to this one, but I decided not to since I wanted to save it for the next part. 

Kaori: *snickers softly*

IceWind: *smiles sweetly at the readers while stuffing Kaori's mouth with cloth* Stupid rabblite. Well people, Ja!

~

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Facts:

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Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

__

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a chocolate *hands person chocolate*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	13. Terror's Afoot

Aether Winds

Chapter thirteen- Terror's Afoot

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *grins* We are finally getting somewhere in this chapter! 

Kaori: *yawns and flicks her wings* Finally

Raen: *pads up* Ignore her. *grins at everyone* Hope you like this chapter!

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Caitie: ehhh I've seen Lord of the Rings, but I DIDN'T get the elf idea from that! I got it from a book I read… anyway… And I've never read Robin McKinley…. And personally I thought I made the word hizar up! (it was for an rpg that I was playing) hmmm weird. 

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dj dim sims: *groans softly and smiles in apology* Sorry, but I have never taken Latin *shrugs* If it doesn't make any sense think of it as a new language! *grins* Again, my apologies *bows*

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Rhysati: Hmm… how long until I get the elves in huh? A couple of chapters most probably *grins* And yes she was ooc *smirks* You can't expect a person to keep them in character all the time! *rolls her eyes* If I did that, Joren and her would NEVER fall in love, don't ya know that? hehe

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They didn't talk about what Kel had accomplished too much, Joren didn't seem to care, and Raen thought that since she finally learned how to use one aspect of her powers, it was enough. Kel sighed softly, still thinking about what had happened, _Raen said that it began because I got angry… Now is that good or bad? I'm not sure if I can control it if I get furious… goddess… _They were heading towards a nearby town to get some supplies and maybe a couple of horses to hurry up the journey to the elves, _the town of Morain. Raen said that it is about a couple of candle marks away_, she quickened her pace, sick of walking everywhere. 

Beside her, Raen lengthened his strides, his walk fluid and graceful, eyes and ears alert for anything else that might come their way. Unbeknownst to Kel and Joren, his thoughts were distinctly different then what they were thinking, _the Jerogil are a peaceful species… Why did they attack? Unless… No, the seven gods no… _Concern entered his eyes as he glanced up at Kel, _have they found out about Mistress? I have to keep her… and that boy… safe._

Joren walked easily ahead of Kel, scouting the way. One hand seemed to never stray from it's position at the hilt of his sword, eyes wary, _there is something wrong with that hizar, it hasn't been telling us everything… stupid over-grown cat. We have been attacked to many times in such a short span of time, why?_ His thoughts were dark as he brushed a tree branch aside, ice blue eyes cold. His wound from the night before was bound up well, Raen had tried to get Kel to heal it for him, but Joren told them firmly, no. He smirked a bit at that recollection, _I would probably be set on fire, thanks, but no thanks. _He gave a soft snort in derision, _as if I'd thank Kel and that creature of hers anyway. _

Kel watched Joren's back, frowning slightly to herself; _he hasn't spoken since this morning… is something wrong?_ As she mulled that thought over, another struck her, _wait a minute, why do I care anyway? _Her frown got deeper, and unknowingly she began to walk faster once more, finally reaching Joren's side and asking cautiously, "Are you okay?" _Stupid, stupid question Kel… That sounded incredibly daft._ She gave herself a mental kick in the head. 

He glanced at her, a smirk lighting his face, "Why do you care?" Raen trotted up to them wordlessly, just watching… 

She gave him a good-natured scowl, "Because…" she paused for a second, thinking about her reply, finally saying with a touch of exasperation, "I just _do_!" 

Joren raised a brow at her wordlessly, still smirking, "Interesting, Mindelan." He continued to walk, still not replying to her question. 

With irritation she intoned her question one last time, "Well?" Beside her Raen watched with something akin to interest in his gaze, amusement over the duo. His ears pricked slightly, but other then that pretended no concern in the conversation. 

He stopped, almost causing Kel to walk on without him; she whirled around and tilted her head to the side, looking up at his face. His voice cold he replied to her, "Don't mess with ice, it would leave you feeling more empty then before," with that said, he strode on, ignoring the amused Raen and the confused Kel. 

She scowled at his retreating back and began to walk again, muttering, "Well you aren't exactly made of ice." Kel rolled her eyes slightly, _and isn't it: don't mess with fire or you'll get burned? Eh… well, for Joren I guess he is more closely related to ice rather then fire. _

~

They stood at the edge of the town of Morain, about to enter, when Raen abruptly stopped. Dark blue apologetic eyes looked up at Kel, _Mistress… I think that it is better if I do not go in_ He stood rather tense and kept his back to the shadows, blending into it smoothly. The only thing that stood out was his silver gem, which caught on small slivers of light and sparkled lightly. 

Joren glared down at the hizar coldly, hand lightly fingering the hilt of his sword, "Cat… you _are_ going to go in. We do not know if we can trust you, now do we?" His eyes swiftly calculating took in the situation, "For all we know you could be leading us into a trap."

Kel winced slightly at Joren's glacier cold voice, looking down at the hizar sorrowfully, "Actually, _I_ trust you Raen, Joren doesn't. Why?"

Raen almost shuffled his feet in self-consciousness, eyes flickering with disdain over Joren's figure, to stare up into Kel's warm hazel brown eyes. Finally he answered her with a tinge of regret in his mind-voice; _I haven't been… fully honest… with you Mistress_

A soft snort echoed in the air, causing both Raen and Kel to look at Joren. He almost ignored Kel, focusing his attention on the hizar, "How can she trust you if you haven't told her everything?" Raen bristled slightly, teeth showing as he bared them at Joren, a low hiss emitting from his muzzle. Joren glared down at the hizar with contempt. They locked gazes, the tension mounting between them.

"Hey!" Kel's voice cut through their glaring contest; her hands were on her hips as she glowered at them both. Raen was the first to break away from Joren's gaze, looking up at Kel with a mental sigh. Joren quickly followed suit, looking archly at Kel while leaning against a tree. She frowned, but continued to speak, "I trust Raen, I really do!" Her last comment was directed to the non-believing Joren, "But Raen…" The hizar cut off his triumphant look at Joren to stare at her, "You have to tell us more about what's going on! Why shouldn't you go into town? I know it would make Joren less suspicious if you do so."

Raen was distinctly arrogant as he replied to her, _Mistress, I do not care what he thinks. I care about what YOU think_ His tail flicked insolently towards Joren's direction. 

She scowled down at him, displeasure in her eyes, "But _I_ care what Joren thinks, so you should to!"

Joren widened his eyes slightly at that statement, _why should she care about what I think?_ He watched with renewed interest towards them both. 

The hizar sighed and curled his tail around himself, his mind voice low as he muttered at reply.

"What? I… err… we can't hear you Raen!" She looked down at the hizar in confusion, straining to hear what he was saying. 

__

Because it wouldn't be wise if you did Mistress! Raen's mind-voice was vehement, eyes looking up pleadingly at Kel's. 

Kel asked softly, "Why?" She glanced at Joren quickly, seeing his impassive face before looking back down towards Raen. 

Raen sighed, defeated; _Hizar's are regarded with displeasure in this world. We are seen as murderers, monsters, and thieves… Humans hate and fear us, they are afraid of what we can do. They on occasion strive to eradicate us from this world… but they always fail_ His eyes darken as he continued, _They do have some justification, we see ourselves better then mere humans and we flaunt that fact in their faces repeatedly. They hate us, we hate them. We NEVER bind ourselves with others except for our mates, only in extremely rare cases and never with the human kind_ He looked up into Kel's eyes and proceeded, _If I go into town there is no telling what the humans would do to you, it would be better if I stick into the shadows and wait for you…_

Joren scowled down at the hizar, "So we are walking with one of the most hated and feared creatures on this world? Mithros!" 

Kel threw him a sharp look, for once cutting off his remaining words. She looked down at Raen, thinking to herself, and finally saying, "You should have told us you know."

Raen gave a miserable nod, regret filling Kel's, and lightly touching, Joren's mind. For once the proud hizar looked defeated and unhappy with the turn of events. His ears were flattened and his tail was curled up against his side tighter then it had been before. 

Finally Kel knelt down before the hizar and touched the bottom of his muzzle with her hand, bringing up his head so they see eye-to-eye. A soft smile appeared to the startled hizar, "It's okay Raen, really."

Joren remained silent, just watching Kel with interest, _she forgives so easily, if it had been me I would have thrown the hizar somewhere hard and full of raging beasts_, his hand still laid near the hilt of his blade, but he didn't think that he would have to draw it anytime soon. 

She continued to speak to the hizar, a grin on her face, "But that doesn't mean your getting away with it." Her face was amused as the hizar began to blubber out what he would do to regain her confidences and she gently, but unknowingly, put a mental block on him so that she could actually speak without him interrupting, "Your coming with us into town." That done she got up from the ground and swept the dust away with her hands that appeared on her breeches. 

The hizar looked up at her with something akin to awe before he used his own magic to eliminate the mental block, _You sure Mistress?_ At her nod he fell silent before giving her a happy overtone in her mind. 

His face impassive, Joren watched the exchange calmly, finally asking, "You done?" At their nods he smirked, "Good, let's go." 

With that done, they all strode into town, Raen still trying to stick in the shadows so he wouldn't be so noticeable. The people around them began to whisper amongst themselves; not only about the appearance of a hizar, but also about the fact that the strangers were carrying an assortment of weapons and that the woman was wearing men's clothing. 

Joren gave a mild glare at Kel, a smirk on his face, "Did you have to wear_ that_ today?" 

She gave a scowl at him, well aware of the many eyes on their little group, "You know very well that I had to wear this. We weren't exactly packing for a vacation when we landed here now were we?" 

A soft chuckle emerged from his mouth, getting a wide-eyed look from Kel, "Sarcastic now aren't we?"

Kel shrugged and glanced around at all of the people, "I tend to get nervous around big crowds." She glanced around at the shops and places, "Where are we going anyway?"

Raen appeared briefly in front of her and gave an arrogant look around, _Humans and their stores_ A couple of gasps appeared from several nearby people at the sudden manifesting of the hizar, and several of them seemed about to draw their weapons. At that sight, Raen once again seemed to melt into the shadows, following Kel and Joren discreetly. 

Joren gave a dismissive glance around, "We'll get some supplies and head towards the inn to see if we can find a place to buy some horses," he started walking in the direction of a store.

She hurried to catch up with him, muttering softly so that people around them can't hear, "What will we use for money?" Her concern was apparent as she looked up at Joren. 

He scowled and shrugged, an amused smirk on his face, "If anything else we can try to pawn off your gem." He continued to stride forward towards the nearest store.

Kel gave him a glare and shook her head, saying flatly, "No way." She turned to the patiently waiting hizar with a questioning look, "Raen?"

The hizar seemed to smirk, an idea lighting in his eyes, _Go ahead Mistress… I'll get some money…_ Seeing as she was about to ask something else he shook his head, _No Mistress, you would not want to know how_

Joren grinned slightly at the hizar's remark, giving him a slight nod as a go ahead to do so. With easy strides his body vanished into a nearby store. 

She pursed her lips in exasperation, finally saying, "Fine, I don't want to know, just hurry up okay Raen?" Kel smiled at the nod he gave her, "Meet us inside," she went into the store after Joren, humming under her breath. 

Raen pricked up his ears and chose his prey carefully, making sure that he wouldn't be noticed. His sharp eyes spotted a rather fat man with a heavy moneybag by his side, _wealthy_. He looked at the two guards that the man brought with him and he seemed to smirk, _they will be easy to deal with_. He stalked quietly behind the trio, keeping himself well hidden; _I need a distraction…_ His gem glowed softly and his eyes flash red for a second. 

The two guards milled around, until one of them blinked and asked the other, "I smell smoke…" The other one shrugged and muttered, "It's not our concern, all we have to do is guard our employer and we collect our pay later." The first gave a shrug also and then his eyes widened, "Look!" He pointed towards the second guard's back where a lick of flame started to grow. The flame grew at an astonishing speed, causing both guards… and others around them, to panic. "Water!" the second guard cried, both of them now preoccupied with their current predicament. 

The hizar snickered softly, feeling no remorse for the humans, his focus now towards the angry fat man with the fat moneybag. He crept up behind the man, eyes locked onto the jingling money, usually hizars wouldn't bother with such trivial things, but he doubted that his Mistress would like it if he killed the men and took the money. So… he'd just steal it. 

Raen moved easily, his body blended in perfectly in the deep shadows of nearby buildings and trees, he stalked the man with care and precision. Finally he was at the back of the fat man and he darted in quickly, claws flashing in the sun. With careful strikes, he severed the bag from it's strings and picked up the fallen bag without even alerting its owner, gathering his strides he darted away into the shadows. The hizar had the bag firmly clamped in his jaws and looked amused at the fat man who walked without knowing that he had been pickpocketed by Raen. _So easy… humans…_ He snorted softly and gripped the bag in his teeth better, trotting away to where his Mistress and Joren went. 

~

Joren finished getting the supplies and all that was left was to pay the owner, he gave an annoyed glance around, not spotting the errant hizar. He mumbled softly, loud enough just so that Kel could hear him, "Where is the over-grown cat?"

Kel gave Joren a soft scowl, smiling nervously at the waiting shopkeeper before muttering softly to him, "He'll come, just wait a bit Joren." Belatedly she added, "And he's not an over-grown cat!" All he did in reply was to smirk at her. Suddenly something soft was pressed into her hand and she glanced down. There was Raen pressing a moneybag in her hand. She grinned at him in thanks and picked up the bag looking at the shopkeeper, "How much is it all?" She ignored the apprehensive look he gave the hizar. 

Raen looked at Joren and said something so that only he and Kel could hear, _Don't call me an over-grown cat!_

~

The serving girl smiled at Joren, showing a great deal of cleavage and purring softly in his ear, "Hello, what shall I get you milord?" 

He grinned in appreciation at her and was about to answer in kind when an irate Kel broke in, "I'll have an ale." She frowned in annoyance at the serving girl, _we aren't here for fun…_ Raen lay unnoticed at her feet, looking upon them with interest. 

The girl pouted and detached herself from Joren, looking at him in a sultry way, as she waited for his answer. Joren raised a brow at Kel before saying calmly to the girl, "I'll have the same." The girl sighed in defeat and left to go fill their orders. He grinned in amusement at Kel, asking, "What? Jealous Mindelan?" He chuckled inwardly as he saw her face become slightly red. 

__

I am like stone… She breathed deeply, her face become impassive once more. "No, of course not." Raen nudged Kel lightly on the leg. She looked down at him, and tilted her head as a question. 

__

What about me Mistress? He chuckled softly in their heads as Kel looked down at him in confusion before understanding dawned in her eyes.

"GAH!" Joren gave Kel a sharp glance and she quieted down slightly, "Oh, I'm sorry Raen! What would you like?" She smiled at him apologetically. 

Raen's laughter echoed in their minds, _Nothing except a bowl Mistress_ he curled his lip in disgust as he gave a glance around, _I would not trust drinking their water_

Kel hid a grin as she signaled a server to get them a bowl, when it arrived she placed it in front of Raen, "Here you go." Her eyes looked on in interest as she watched what he was about to do. 

The hizar looked down at the bowl and his gem flashed. His eyes turned a deep blue and a ball of dim energy appeared in the bowl. With a flash of showy light, the ball faded away and left a bowl full of fresh clean cold water for Raen to drink. The hizar lapped delicately at the water, grinning inwardly at Kel's awed look, _I will not tell Mistress yet that most of that was for show…_

Joren watched them interact before he looked up at the serving girl who arrived with their drinks. He flashed her a charming smile and watched, amused, as she blushed lightly and began to flaunt her 'assets' once more. Beside him Kel rolled her eyes, which when caught by Joren, made him smirk. 

The girl gave a pout when someone else hailed her from their table, she had to go over there or else stand the chance of losing her job. Giving a wink at Joren she moved over to the three rowdy men, covering her distaste at them with practiced ease. 

"She really needs to pay more attention to her job," Inwardly Kel was berating herself, _why in havens name do I care so much?_ Raen looked up from his spot at his Mistress, a knowing look in his eyes. 

Joren gave a glance at her and shrugged, a cocky smile on his face. He was about to answer, but something caught his attention near the door, so instead of replying her he shifted his attention to some men who just arrived at the tavern. They didn't seem to come here for drinks, all of them looked decidedly arrogant and were talking to the tavern's keeper in hushed whispers. Bits of the conversation floated to his ears, making his curiosity grow and his eyes to narrow. 

There were three men in total it seemed. Two of them were shaggy in appearance and decidedly unkempt, the other seemed to be the leader and was radically different in appearance. He was clean-shaven and though he was smaller then his companions, he held a commanding aura around him and the others deferred to him. The other two men were nondescript, just the sort of mercenaries you could pick up from anywhere for a moderate sum of money. Both had brown hair though one had lighter hair then the other. The one with light brown hair had a muddy blue color for his eyes, while the other had a dark brown color. The leader had dirty blond hair with light green eyes, something that Joren thought to be slightly unusual on a person. They were all wearing commonplace clothing, though green-eyes had seemingly better armor and fabric for his clothes. The men were talking in moderately hushed tones, and if Joren hadn't been sitting so close to the door he would have missed the conversation. 

Green-eyes looked over at the tavern keeper and said in a smooth tone of voice, "We are looking for people." His men positioned themselves to the side of him and looked as threatening as they could… which was rather effective by the frightened expression on the tavern keeper's face. 

Kel looked over at what Joren was concentrating on and spotted the three men, _wha?_ She adopted an expression and position that seemed to show that she wasn't listening and concentrating on her drink. With her right hand she picked up her mug and held it to her lips, silently eyeing the men over the rim of her cup with hidden curiosity in her eyes. 

Raen looked up at his Mistress in slight confusion before he too looked over at the men. At the sight he seemed to disappear more into the shadows, though Kel and Joren could vaguely make out his form lying down slightly tense. He picked up dark overtones from the men's minds and was on high alert. The hizar's ears pricked in the trio's direction, dark eyes locked onto their bodies. 

The tavern keeper seemed to gain some courage from his words, and his eyes lit up in a greedy gleam, a business like look settling over his features. He talked in a brash and uneducated voice, "Really now Milords? I do not know what yea means. Describe 'em for this poor man so I could help youes be on your ways." 

The leader spoke easily, though a warning look flashed through his eyes, which went unnoticed by the tavern keeper, "I am looking for two people for my master. One is a boy around six feet, blond hair, light eyes, around 20. The other is a lass a couple of inches shorter then him, brown hair, hazel eyes, same age. They may be traveling with a hizar; you know what they look like. Have you seen them?" The two men around him shifted so that they could be seen with their hands on the pommels of their swords, looking distempered. 

The tavern keeper sensed that he should be wary in dealing with these kinds of folk, but he decided to press his luck a little bit more in hopes of getting some coins for his trouble. So he eyed green-eyes evenly and spoke with trace amounts of greed apparent in his voice, "What's in it for me?" belatedly he added in, "Milords." 

Blue-eyes looked at his leader in inquiry and green-eyes gave a curt nod towards him. The man smirked at the tavern keeper maliciously and slammed him into the wall, pulling out his sword blade and holding it at his throat. He pushed the blade in deep enough to make a thin line of blood appear at the edge and slowly start to drip down, at that point the man stopped pushing his blade in though he sneered down at the cowering keeper.

The man was terrified for his life; he dared not to move further. With the sudden bang of his body to the wall the patrons in the tavern quieted down, eyes now locked onto the cringing man and the three strangers. With frantic haste the tavern keeper yelled out, "I'll talk! I'll talk!" 

With the hushed tones of the people around him, green-eyes raised his lips into a small smirk, no remorse for what he ordered his man to do in his eyes. The other man, brown-eyes shifted to face the others in the tavern to make sure that none of them tried to do anything foolish, such as trying to help the tavern keeper. He continued to smirk as he said with everlasting calm to the tavern keeper, "Then talk."

Kel transferred her eyes from the scene to Joren's, panic beginning to rise in them. _They are looking for us, they have to be!_ _Why?_ She slowly began to edge out of her seat, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. As she does so, she begins to slip out her silver-bonding dagger, Silver Falcon. 

Joren gave her a sharp glance, and seemed to communicate through his eyes, _We have to get out of here_ He gave a slight smile satisfaction when he saw her give him a nod in assent. With that done, he too began to move out slowly from his seat, eyes narrowed, and hand moving subtly towards his black dagger. 

Raen looked with something akin to panic in his eyes when he looked at green-eyes, _seven gods, please, not him. Anyone but him…_ He felt his hopes dim then get smashed completely when he saw what green-eyes wore around his neck… gems such as Kel's only there was more then one and in the colors of a dark red, the color of blood, a sickly looking yellow, and a dirty green. Horror rose from deep within him, _no…_ before he vainly tried to shove it down again. _I have to protect Mistress and that boy, I MUST!_ He leaped up from his spot, now partly visible to others; his mind-voice was loud and desperate as it rang in Kel and Joren's minds, _Mistress! Boy! I will hold them off, run fast!_ He and Joren locked eyes for a moment, ice blue clashing with dark blue, before Joren gave a nod in agreement, grabbed Kel's arm, and ran out, tugging her along after him. 

"There! Them running out!" The tavern keeper yelled to green-eyes and the other two. Believing that his task was done, he began to squirm, though not too much that the blade cut any deeper into his neck. 

Kel felt sick as she ran out when she saw blue-eyes nearly sever the tavern keeper's head from his neck using his sword, the man's usefulness over. Bits of panic bubbled up from inside of her, and Joren pulling her out was not helping her at all. She suddenly looked at Raen from the corner of her eye and gave out a choked, "No!" Pulling on her arm she tried to go back to her bond seibutsu to try to help him stave off the men. 

"Damn it Kel! Move!" Joren shoved her along out the door, eyes hard and cold, "he'll be fine!" No doubt of that spread through his mind, he knew what those claws and teeth could do in battle and didn't think that a human could stop Raen from killing him. 

Raen prepared himself for the coming battle; eyes locking onto the leader's pale green ones. He sent one more message towards his Mistress and Joren, _Go, faster and faster. Go into the woods, if I am… able… I'll find you_ His body tensed as he leaped in front of green-eyes, glaring at him in malevolence. 

Green-eyes looked down at him in slight recognition, before a sneer spread across his face, "Well, well, well… I heard that one of you arrogant hizar's finally bonded with someone other then your own species, but you Raen? How low have you sunk?" He nodded at his two men with a smirk, "Get the boy and the girl, do NOT kill the girl, Master needs her. I can take care of the mighty Raen of the Eclipse Guardian pack himself." He deftly unsheathed a dark gray sword and took a fighting stance as the two men ran out of the door in hot pursuit of Kel and Joren.

The hizar gave a quick glance around the tavern, panicky thoughts flashing through his mind; _it is not an ideal fighting area. _He bared his teeth at his opponent and his eyes flashed silver once and they both disappeared from sight. 

~

They reappeared in a large clearing filled with rocks, small tuffs of grass, and not much else. Raen glared at green-eyes, anger pulsing through his veins. _Why him… why the demon of Acrolish? Is it my fate to end up like my pack?_ He snarled defiantly at the man, fur bristled, the sun beating down upon his black coat unrelentlessly. 

Green-eyes took the scenery change with complete cool, a mocking grin on his face, "I shall take your gem from you forehead and hang it with the others," he lightly touched the other gems that hung around his neck, "You should feel proud, not many have that honor." He then once again took fighting stance, eyes narrowed, sword held horizontally. 

__

Never shall you do to me what you have done to others! Anger dominated his mind and he gave a soundless roar, leaping at the man in rage, _You shall die for what you have done TAKASHI!_ His claws flashed in the sun as he struck towards Takashi's leg in incredible speed. 

But as fast as he struck, Takashi moved even faster, dodging to the side and darting in with his sword. Crimson blood sprayed through the air as he scored a deep gash into the hizar's side.

~

"Joren! Let go of my arm! I'll run, really!" Kel glared up at him, legs pounding into the ground, dust rising from their steps. She nearly growled in frustration when she realized that he was ignoring her, "Joren! I can hardly feel Raen anymore! He's too far off for me to track him down!" A slight amount of pain suddenly lanced through her side as she said the sentence, she just ignored it and raced on, trying to get her arm out of Joren's grip.

Joren risked a glance behind him and nodded tersely, letting go of her arm and running through the streets, glancing around him for someplace to hide. _Why am I running anyway? Am I not one of the best knights that Tortall has?_ He spotted the two men slowly, but surely gaining on their tracks, _Damnit…_ Ice-blue eyes took in Kel's condition with one glance, _no, better not unless I want to get killed. Mindelan looks too distraught over her over-grown cat to do much damage. _He cursed fluently inside his head,_ stupid hizar getting us into this in the first place._ He knew that the thought was irrational but he really didn't care, he needed to blame the occurring incident on something and the hizar seemed to be the best choice. He shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind, he had more pressing issues to be concerned about first. Eyes calculating he yelled to Kel, "We can't out run them! We have to do something else." He looked up ahead where some trees lay in the center of town. 

She ran up beside him, stride for stride, and nodded, "Right, let's see if we can lose them in there. If not, we can go hide in some alley and hope that they would run of in another direction." Her strides lengthened as she began to run faster, feeling a burning sensation in her thighs from the run. _I can't keep up this kind of pace for much longer…_

They both began to weave in and out of the trees, each intent on loosing the two following them. When they emerged, Kel noticed that the men were still nearby, though they seem to be slightly disorientated. Switching swiftly to plan B, she grabbed Joren's arm and dragged him into a dark alley. When she got in there she pressed her back to the wall and tried to be as inconspicuous as she can, hoping the guards would just continue running past her. 

"Shit!" She heard Joren curse from beside her as he saw that the men were still moving in their direction, though at a slightly slower pace. He glanced about slightly wildly, his blond hair getting slightly mussed from all of his movement. Finally deciding that it was the only course of action they could take he got off from the wall and moved in front of Kel.

"What?" She whispered to him, confused. She didn't dare speak out loudly, the men were drawing closer. Kel stiffened slightly as she felt Joren's breath near her ear.

He moved his mouth to the side of her head, his warm breath tickling her ear as he whispered back, "Shut up and let me do this." That said he wrapped his arms around her, both of them still shrouded in the alley's shadows. 

Kel stiffened even more as she felt him move around her, his warm, clean scent wafting up to her nose. Alarms immediately set off in her head, _What in Mithros name is he doing?!_ _Goddess he smells nice… AHH! BAD THOUGHTS! BAD!_ She started to yell at herself mentally. 

Joren looked down at her, in what passerby's might have seen as a loving look, though his was more like a glare, "Relax Mindelan! You're as stiff as a board!" The men continued to draw closer to them both, and he tightened his arms around her. 

She almost tensed up more before his words registered on her muddled brain. Slowly she relaxed into his arms, almost shyly even. _Warm…he feels so warm… BAD THOUGHTS! Oh Goddess…_ Her heart began to race slightly faster and her palms felt slightly sweaty. _SHIT! NO ACK!_ Hazel brown confused eyes looked up at Joren's, different emotions conflicting and warring with each other. 

He paid almost no attention to her, keeping his focus on the two men, absentmindedly he thought to himself, _Vanilla and strawberries, that's what she smells like… What in Mithros names am I THINKING about? Kel is the lump, is my rival, my enemy… yes…_ He stoically repeated that to himself as he eyed the two men drawing closer. _Damn no, they are not moving away, do we look suspicious?_ Joren looked down at Kel and mentally sighed, _hell yes, we do. People just don't go on HUGGING others in alleys._ His face was impassive as he muttered at her, "I'm going to kiss you." _It's our only chance…_

Kel opened her eyes in shock and was about to say something to dissuade him when he suddenly leaned down and roughly put his lips against hers, kissing her with slight desperation. She gave a soft moan in surprise and tried to fight against it all, the heat, the kiss. 

As she moaned Joren thrust his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. He was setting out to do this as realistically as he could. His tongue played with hers until she couldn't hold back anymore and began to tentatively return his advances until it became as wild and passionate as his. She melted into his arms and he subconsciously drew his arms around her tighter.

Her mind screamed at her to stop, to at least slow down, they didn't have to look _this_ realistic. She ignored it and swept her arms around Joren's neck as they continued to kiss, clinging to him. Any of her rational thoughts swept away from her to goddess knows where. 

The men looked into the slightly dark alley and saw two people start to make out with each other. With smirks on their faces from the sight they moved off to go find their quarry and to bring it back to Takashi, that first and foremost on their minds. 

A couple of seconds after they left Joren jerked her head up from Kel's and breathed slightly heavily, looking down at her. Her wide hazel brown eyes stared back up at him, shock completely dominating all of her other emotions. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:

IceWind: *laughs softly* Can I just say CLIFFHANGER? And look! The chapter is pretty long for me!

Raen: *he gives a rueful smile* Just as long as I don't die I will not mind the mushy parts. 

Kaori: *is off to the side gagging* 

IceWind: *she laughs* I happened to LOVE this chapter, and it wasn't because Kel and Joren kissed. (In fact I felt awkward writing that part because I can't really do romancy scenes, can you tell?) Oh! One more thing, I finally found out where the word Aether was from! (bet you guys didn't know that I didn't make it up lol) It's from a series of books by Juliet E. McKenna! ^.^ The word came from her, but the way I use it is different from her books. So just keep that in mind. *is going to start adding that part to the disclaimer* Something else, Kel and Joren are really kinda ooc ok? *grins slightly* it's hard to keep them in character when I don't want them to be! :P

Raen: *grins* This was fun!

IceWind: *nods* Ya! Oh! One last thing (REALLY! It's also **IMPORTANT**) I'm thinking about starting another series with Kel and Joren (of course) I'm just wondering if you guys would like it to come out after I finish Aether Winds or do I just post it now and work on them both? You guys think about it and tell me ok? Ja!

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*Updated*

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Facts:

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Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

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Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

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Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead, the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

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Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a tootsie pop *hands person a tootsie pop*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	14. Phoenix Rise From the Ashes

Aether Winds

Chapter fourteen- Phoenix Rise From the Ashes

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *hums softly and grins* Wow! I'm on chapter fourteen already! Yay!!!!

Kaori: *dumps a bucket of cold water on her, she snickers evilly* 

Raen: *groans and sighs* oh boy…

IceWind: *glares darkly at Kaori and grabs her by the tail, kicking her into a boulder* HA!

Raen: *ignores them and smiles at the readers* Err… just read k?

Kaori: *flies up and slams into IceWind, they both begin to fight*

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Tallina starfire: *blinks* You didn't like the kissing scene? It's okay lol, I'm not good at writing romancy stuff! And no I'm not getting them together yet; I opt for the second option! MWAHAAHAAHA! I REFUSE to be typical and predictable! 

**E. L. Madison****:** *gives her an odd look* Yes he dies… but this is an AU fic! Alternate reality ROCKS! Hehe so he's ALIVE and KICKING!

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Sweet Thang: (not writing full name down!) Yes I'm a fan of Sulia Serafines… *suddenly stops dead* YOUR KIDDING? AHH! *pouts and begins to cry* It's not THAT alike is it? I've only read her ICBW and the second ICBW none of her other fics. Is it REALLY like hers? *runs around screaming*

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Caitie: *gives her an odd look* You'll be lucky if I get you guys to the elves in 3 chapters! *grins* I happen to take things slow… *sighs* 

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Lady kithandra: *lips twitch and she giggles* doesn't it ALWAYS have to be AU? I mean in the books Joren is DEAD and gone! *wails softly* And if it was regular they won't ever fall in love in the first place!

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Catchfire: *grins* My other story has Kel… and she STILL aint normal! *laughs* It won't have another world in it (I THINK) errr If I tell anything else I'd give the plot line away! Oh another thing, if you want to know if Raen lives or dies… read the chapter! You like the kissing scene? *goes wide-eyed* Really? YAY! Thanks!

A hem, in writing all of the notes to the different people up above *points and giggles* I was insanely hyper since I had eaten LOTS AND LOTS of CHOCOLATE! I write the stories first then answer questions and stuff afterwards, soo… the chapter aint going to be cheery.

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Kel stared into the fire, huddling in one of the travel blankets that Joren had bought in Morian. Her thoughts were filled with worry and confusion, _Raen… I hope your okay…_ She reached over and threw another branch into the small fire, wondering if anyone would be able to see the smoke. _Then why the heck are we building a fire?_ Her thoughts were tinged with irritation as she clasp her gem in one hand and tried to do something magical so that no one could detect the smoke. Her eyes closed and she began to concentrate. 

Joren glanced at her and shrugged to himself, the silence getting slightly on his nerves, _damn, too used to Mindelan talking. _Ever since the 'incident' at the town, they hadn't been exactly comfortable with each other. He brushed back a strand of his hair and took his eyes off of Kel, looking darkly into the small fire. _The hell is wrong with Mindelan? It was only a kiss! And I had to do it anyway; those two people were getting suspicious._

A soft silvery glow surrounded her hand that cupped her crystal; Kel then concentrated on the fire, tugging upon power from herself and things around her. An almost transparent beam of light hit the fire and surrounded it, the smoke emitted become lighter until it finally disappeared into who knows where. She opened her eyes and gave a small smile of victory; _it's becoming easier, I guess I need to practice more. Then I'll be able to do what Raen did without trying._ She looked at Joren, wondering what his reaction and what he would say would be. 

He looked at what she was doing with an almost expressionless face; finally he gave a slight nod, saying for the first time since the incident in town, "You did something right, Mindelan." He raised a brow when he saw that she didn't answer him, and spoke once again, "What the hell is wrong with you Mindelan?" He kept his voice low so that they wouldn't be heard by anyone, or anything. Irritation appeared in his eyes when he noticed that she was still not answering him. He spoke one last time, his voice curt, "It didn't mean anything, we'll just go how we have been doing. It's not like it's a big deal." His ice-blue eyes held hers until she nodded.

She transferred her gaze to the fire, thoughts annoyed, _it's not like I expected anything else, he thinks too highly of himself. I'm just worried about Raen…_ she breathed out a soft sigh and looked back at Joren, murmuring softly, "Do you think Raen's all right?" Her hazel brown eyes looked at him worriedly. 

Joren shrugged and gave a swift glance around, "I don't know, maybe, maybe not. Though I thought that the cat would take better care of himself then lose to a human." He rolled his eyes, thinking about the hizar's arrogance. Inwardly he wondered about how Raen was doing himself, more out of curiosity then anything else. To get his thoughts off of the plight of the hizar, he took out a dagger and began to clean it to get the red-brown specks of rust out. 

Kel frowned at him; _he could show more concern than that, though if he did… then he wouldn't be Joren would he?_ As she watched him clean his dagger a sudden thought sped through her mind and she hurriedly put a hand at her waist, grabbing the Silver Falcon and drawing it out of a sheath. She looked at it and breathed a sigh of relief, a smile playing on her face. It laid perfectly in her hand, nothing wrong with it, the blade gleaming slightly from the fire's light. 

He looked up from his work and raised a brow, _I thought she was worried about her cat_. "What are you so happy about Mindelan? I don't see anything good about our situation right now." His voice seemed to be too sharp since she gave him an annoyed glare and spoke in an icy tone. 

"Raen's okay," her eyes betrayed her voice by sparkling happily at the thought, "See?" Kel showed him her silver dagger; her unbroken and whole silver dagger. "The Silver Falcon doesn't even have a scratch on it."

He looked with some confusion upon the dagger, finally asking, "Are you feeling okay? It's just your dagger," He looked at it, trying to find out why she was showing it to him in the first place.

Kel breathed out a sigh of frustration, calmly explaining it to him; "Part of the knowledge I gained was about this dagger and Raen's chain. If either broke it signaled that the other has died, get it Stone?" She smirked in satisfaction as the information was digested by him, "So all we have to do is wait and he'll come to us like he said," she gave a nod to herself as she spoke that sentence. 

With a shrug, Joren acknowledged the information, before asking with some curiosity, "But should it have taken him this long to defeat green-eyes and come back to us?" Mentally he told himself,_ no not us, Kel only. He wouldn't go back to me; I'm not his bonded._ Briefly he considered what it would be like to be bonded to another creature. 

__

No, it would have taken longer the usual mind-voice of the hizar was weak and shaky, fading in and out at inconstant rates. Slowly he emerged from the dark brush, his form low to the ground and uneasy, legs feeling as if they would collapse from under him at any second. Blood streamed from the multiple gashes and cuts on his body, and one leg was up, him unable to put any weight upon it.

"Raen!" Kel's eyes widened at the sight of all of his blood. Hurriedly she began to slice pieces of cloth to bind his wounds, walking quickly towards him with concern shining in her eyes. Quietly she kneeled down next to him and winced at the site of his wounds, "What happened?"

Joren gave a frown at the sight, walking over himself. Without a word he took some of the cloth pieces from Kel and began to clean the wounds, staying well away from the leg that was up. Inwardly he was furious, at who, he didn't even know himself; it could be the person who was trying to capture them, or it could be directed at the hizar. 

Raen winced as the cloths made contact with his body, pain lancing through his entire being. A low hiss emerged from his muzzle as he struggled to answer his Mistress's question without being seen as too weak, _It… is a long story Mistress, I shall tell you after you and the boy are done binding me up_ He flattened his ears against his head and gave another low hiss as Joren tugged on a bandage to make it tight.

She gave a sigh and a nod in agreement, moving over to his hurt leg. A soft gasp escaped from her mouth as she saw the stark white of part of the bone jutting out from the skin at an odd angle. She didn't want to try to do anything with that, she was no healer. Softly she called out, "Raen… I… I don't think I can do anything with this leg, only a healer could do this right."

The hizar bowed his head even lower in thought, finally coming to a decision. He raised his head and locked eyes with Kel, gaze warm and trusting, _Mistress, I shall put myself to sleep, set the bone then_ He vainly tried to ignore the pain from his wounds, blood pooling around his feet.

Joren winced slightly, but then smoothed over his expression into one of complete nonchalance. _I hope the cat knows what he is doing, it has to be a deep enough sleep so that he doesn't suddenly wake in the middle of it_, grudging admiration rose in his eyes, _okay, so the cat has more guts then I thought, let's see what Mindelan would do now. _He looked over at her and calmly raised a brow, "Well Mindelan?"

Kel bit her lip lightly, eyes going from Joren's emotionless ice-blue ones to Raen's trusting dark-blue. She then looked down at his leg and shuddered slightly, before giving a slight nod, "I'll… do it." Quickly she gathered up the makeshift bandages and laid them next to her in easy reach. She gave a shaky smile towards Raen and waited. 

Raen gave her a comforting look and dropped down to the ground, flinching only slightly in the descent, refusing to show any more pain then he has to. With a tranquil sigh his gem glowed a soft silver, enveloping him and placing him into a deep sleep. His ears dropped down and his tail stopped moving, chest rising up and down peacefully. 

With an uncertain look, Kel moved over to his broken leg, dreading to do this. Softly she whispered to herself, "What if I screw up? I'm not a healer." As her hands neared the leg she stopped moving, looking at Raen's prone form with fear.

__

Fuck, with a slightly annoyed look Joren went over to Kel, muttering to her, "Look Kel, you have to do this. That over-grown cat trusts you, I don't know why, you'd probably be his and mine's death one day, but he does. Now stop acting like such a coward and just set the damn bone!" _Shit, why the hell do I care? …I don't, we just need to get going and she's obviously not going to move until the cat is better. _

She looked up at him in shock, his words registering on her mind, with a scowl she replied, "Fine!" Before she lost her nerve she gripped the leg and as quickly as she could, began to put it in place, unconsciously using psy magic to push the bones into the correct place. Her gem glowed a soft purple, but she was to absorbed into her work to notice. As she finished setting the bone, she hurriedly began to bandage the leg and hoped that it would heal okay. 

The clearing they were in was quiet as she worked, only the occasional bird song breaking into the air. Kel finished bandaging Raen's leg with a relieved sigh, _I think that I did it right… I hope anyway_. She looked up at the waiting Joren and breathed out softly, "Thanks." Of course he just roughly shrugged it off and muttered to her, "We are on a mission, make sure the cat is well enough to travel in the morning," that said, Joren walked over to the fire and sat down beside it, looking into it broodingly. 

~

Raen opened bleary eyes into a fire with no smoke rising from it. Mentally he raised a brow at the sight and felt a surge of pride coursing through him, _Mistress's work. She used the elements fire and air to accomplish that trick, or was it just air alone?_ He pondered to himself about it until he suddenly remembered something. Quickly he looked down at his light foreleg and his eyes shone approvingly, _very nice work on the leg, I have to remind myself to congratulate Mistress._ His ears pricked as he gave a sweeping glance around, spotting an almost asleep Kel and a keeping watch Joren, _Mistress? Boy?_

Kel's head jerked up from it's resting position and she looked over at the hizar with a smile, "Your up Raen! How are you feeling? You've only been out for five candle-marks!" Relief was apparent in her jubilant voice. 

Joren whirled around quickly at the sound and relaxed, scowling at Raen, saying curtly, "Your better, good. Now stop calling me boy!" Annoyance flared in his eyes before he placed a stoic expression on his face, just watching the ebony hizar. 

With a mental smirk, Raen answered him coolly, _I will as soon as you calling me a cat, I am a hizar! The greatest species on this planet!_ Seeing the rather confused look of Kel's face, and the smirking Joren, he expelled a sigh, _Never mind I suppose, so… Joren, do we have a deal?_ His eyes locked on to Joren's for a while before Joren gave a shrug. 

"I guess there are worse things then calling a cat a hizar," his smirk grew wider at the plainly frustrated hizar. Finally he decided that he annoyed the hizar enough for now and asked the question that Kel had asked earlier, "What happened?" he added onto the question, "Who were those men and why were they after us?" Suspicion rose in his eyes, "The only ones that knew we were even on this planet is you yourself Raen." 

Kel remained silent as she watched her bonded and Joren converse with each other, as she heard the suspicion in Joren's voice, she added on hastily, "We know it wasn't you…" she ignored the soft 'speak for yourself' that came from Joren, "But how? And who were they?"

Raen frowned mentally and mind-spoke softly into their heads, _It would be better if I showed you both rather then told you… Please Mistress_ he turned his head towards her, _You would understand much better if I showed you both_

Before Joren could answer back to the hizar angrily, she spoke up quickly, "Fine Raen, we trust you." That sentence effectively cut off what Joren had originally planned to say. 

"Kel!" his voice was not the calm and collected voice it usually was, and Joren knew it. "The hell do you think your doing, talking for me? I trust him as much as I trust anyone else!" He fell silent as soon as the words escaped from his mouth.

"Well…" her voice was soft, "It's about time you started to trust somebody, and you might as well start with Raen and I" She looked up at him pleadingly, "Please Joren, you know that this way would also take the less amount of energy out of Raen and would be quicker to do. We would also get more answers this way, we are taking the information right from Raen's head!" She didn't really know where the information came from, but she knew it wasn't from Raen, she would have been able to feel it. "Please?" _Joren, stopped being so damn stubborn and for once in your life do something I know would benefit all of us!_

He gave a frown and a glare at her and the hizar, _…whatever,_ he voiced his thought emotionlessly, "Whatever, just hurry up before I change my mind," he crossed his arms and waited, soft tinges of light coming through as dawn approached. 

Raen inclined his head in a wordless thanks, _Please sit down, I don't want either of you to fall over when I start this_ As soon as they sat down he began to concentrate on his memories, _I shall first show you how I came to be on that road, hurt like I was, it pertains to what you want to know…_ His gem glowed a bright silver and two beams of light emerged, one hitting Kel in the forehead and the other hitting Joren in the forehead. He closed his eyes as he began to concentrate on the memory, whispering one last thing, _You shall see it as I saw it_

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~Memory Sequence~

The ebony black hizar stood proudly on the mountain leg, the wind playing through his fur. His dark blue-eyes swept from each of the assembled ten hizars below him, pride clearly shining through. He spoke in a great commanding mind-voice_, We are the mighty hizars of the Eclipse Guardian pack!_ The hizars below him gave soft roars in agreement, _We are the collection of the finest hizars the world of Medea has ever seen and no human shall take that from us! _

~

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{In a type of limbo, Kel and Joren floated through Raen's thoughts and memories, both concentrating greatly on the scene. Somehow they were both able to speak and see each other even though the hizars around them could not.}

~

Raen looked from each hizar to another, gazing deeply into their eyes, _I am the pack leader Raen! Son of the mighty Rashikath and the clever Poldera! I swear on the seven gods that I will not fail this task I have been given. We shall defeat the demon Takashi and make him rue the day he messed with the hizars! _

All around him the assembled hizars raised their noses into the air and gave a ghostly howl, blood lust running through each and every one of them. Even the week old pups joined in, pride for their species apparent. Their ebony fur glistened in the sun, the gems on their heads sparkling brightly. 

~

{Kel looked at Joren, eyes understanding, ~_Those are Raen's pack, Eclipse Guardian. I don't understand what they are going on about though~ _

Joren gave a slight shrug at her, thinking to himself, _~Something must have happened to them if the cat is not with them anymore~_

A disembodied voice echoed through their heads, the deep mind-voice belonging to Raen. He too was watching, and reliving, these memories, _~Do not call me a cat! And continue to watch, all will be revealed in due time, this I promise~_

They all turned to watch the unveiling scene}

~

The noble form of the hizar straightened, eyes looking down at his pack with wisdom, _Takashi has defeated the Rising Sun pack, the Desert Wind pack, and the Falling Rain's pack, but he shall never defeat us! The strongest pack of them all!_ Scorn entered his eyes at the thought of Takashi, _His mageries will never be able to defeat our pack. And we WILL avenge our brothers and sisters!_

The hizars below him began to talk angrily to each other at the mention of Takashi and his magic, all of their eyes blazing with ferocity. Each one looked upon Raen with hope and guidance, willing to follow their leader anywhere he needs them to be. 

Raen's mind-voice bellowed into the other hizar's minds, _Quiet! _they settled down instantly, each one's gaze riveted upon his form, _Takashi's crimes shall not go unpunished, and when we find his master, he will also pay for what he did_ He was deadly serious as he continued to speak. _Be careful my pack, this man has even taken on elves and won, even though it was unfair battles. He has acquired those that he has defeated powers, and because of that will not be taken down easily_

One hizar padded out from the crowd and walked up into the front of Raen, her fiery red eyes locked onto his form as she spoke, _How my great one? How could he have bested the elves and taken their power? I did not think that it was possible! Will he take our power as well?_

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Never Adrienne his gaze was firm, _He cannot take hizar's powers, but elves are close enough to humans that he is able to pilfer theirs. To accomplish this he must kill the elf and take their gem_ He paused as furious hisses emerged from the other hizar's muzzles, as much as they disliked elves, they held a kind of mutual respect for each other. _He puts their gems around his neck as necklaces, to control the power inside them he must warp the original power until the gems have no recollection of their former owners and must bond to him. Their powers would remain the same as before only now they are tinted with evil and are more powerful due to the fact that Takashi's master puts his own black energy into them_

Adrienne hissed lowly, backing up until she is within the crowd once more, eyes enraged as she spoke once more, _We will stop them great one, under your command we will succeed!_

~

{Kel looked down at the scene with shock emanating from her. Her transparent hand cupped the gem around her throat and held it tightly, she looked at Joren and spoke harshly, _~This must be what happened! A fight with Takashi made Raen so hurt when we first found him!~_ Suddenly her voice was shaky and she mummered, _~But what happened to his pack?~_

Joren looked at her, lips tightly against each other, even he felt a sense of rage against this Takashi person, and he didn't even really _like_ hizars. Finally he answered her, _~I guess we will find out, but even as dangerous as this Takashi character is, what about his master? How evil must he be to give the orders to do so? How much power must he have to be able to have done what he has done?~_

~You are right Joren~ Raen's voice ran through their minds once more even if they couldn't see him, _~As bad as Takashi is… I dread meeting his master. What will happen then is up to the seven gods to decide. You shall see what happened to my pack Mistress…~_ The mind-voice sounded strained as he said the last sentence, giving off chills own Kel's and Joren's spines. The scene in front of them seemed to suddenly fast forward until it abruptly stopped, leaving them with a whole new scenario to look at…}

~

Death… Blood and the dead were all the remained. Around his beaten and battered body Raen could see the remains of his pack in broken pieces, severed limbs, and pools of blood. In the middle of all of this was a man with eerie light green eyes and dirty blond hair, a mocking smirk on his face. Not a speck of blood appeared on his form, nothing… he was not hurt except for a slight gash in his side… and even that had never bleed. 

Raen closed his eyes, unable to look anymore, willing himself to just die right then and there, _I have failed you… mother… father… my pack. I have failed to the demon of Acrolish, how was I to know that he would be this powerful? To defeat every single one in my pack?_ His eyes snapped open again as he saw the man stride into a cave, his mind screamed a vicious, _NO!_ He struggled to get up, muscles and limbs straining, panic so clear in his eyes. _No! Do not go in there! Please! No!_

A mocking laugh filled the air and the man returned from the cave… but this time with three squirming week old pups in his arms, each one frantic and trying to escape. "So the great Raen is reduced to begging, how… weak of you He struck out and kicked the hizar in the side, eyes glinting in satisfaction as Raen cowered. One of the pups in his arms gave a furious hiss and bit his hand angrily, drawing only a drop of blood until the wound closed a second later. 

The hizar looked furious, but was unable to do anything, in a frenzied mind-voice he called to the pup, _Stop is Mirali! Just… stop!_ His eyes widened in horror as Takashi gave a malicious laugh and took the pup by the neck, easily holding to the other two with his other hand. 

"So weak and helpless they are," Takashi's green-eyes seemed to glow as they looked down at Raen's prone form, "Little one… you made a dear and costly mistake that sealed your fate," at that he smirked and with a quick movement from his wrist… broke the little pup's neck. Marali's form became limp and swung in Takashi's hand. The man laughed chillingly, dropping the pup in front of Raen's form, unmoved when Raen gently nosed the pup. 

Raen looked at the pup with deep sorrow, _My son… my dear brave son… dead… by this monsters hand,_ he looked up and glared at the man, unable to do anything because he held his other two children in his arms. Lowly he spoke, growling angrily, _Why don't you just finish me off? You have killed my pack already demon, why don't you finish the job?_ His body ached and cried out, all he wanted to do was to die and be with his loved ones once more in the death god's realm. 

The man smirked and said softly, "Why not indeed?" As quickly as he spoke, he unmercifully killed the other two pups in his arms, one by breaking the neck as he had done to Mirali, the other by suffocation. He grinned maliciously at the grieving hizar in front of him and dropped the other two pups down on top of their brother. "So now all that is left is you, funny, I thought that your pack would be more of a… challenge. I suppose that the stories were wrong about how you were invincible," his eyes glinted. 

__

My children… Raen's heart seemed to stop, _my beloved children are dead, killed by this monster,_ he looked up and gave a challenging glare at Takashi, _Just kill me already why don't you?!_ He did not look like the proud hizar he was before, instead… he looked broken, without life even though his own life did not end yet.

~

{A scream ran through Raen's and Joren's mind, _~NO! We have to help Raen! We have to…~_ Kel looked in horror at the scene, eyes wide and translucent body shaking. She tried to run over to help Raen and the pups but… she went right through them. ~_Raen's pups… they and his pack… they all died!~_

Joren's arm shot out and grabbed hers before she did anything foolhardy, he pulled her back towards him and gave a sympathetic scowl down at her, _~You can't do anything to help Kel! We are in Raen's memories, this has already happened and you can't do anything to stop it! Now stop being a fool, Raen brought us here to listen, watch, and learn~ _

She struggled against him, shouting in his mind, _~You don't understand! I feel Raen's pain magnified ten more times then you do! We are bonded! I feel everything as if I am Raen, I am there and I just watched my children and pack die! I can't… oh Joren…~_ She beat against him weakly, tears streaming down her face. _~I feel… I feel as if my world has ended with their deaths, as if I can't do anything else, as if I am worthless for I could not protect them~_

He shook his head, little flecks of anger in his eyes, _~No Kel, you are just feeling Raen's emotions at that time! Put up a mental block and you wouldn't feel as much pain as you do! You and Raen and two separate beings!~_

Raen's mind-voice spoke to them all softly, _~I am sorry Mistress that I cannot help you, please listen to Joren for what he says is true. You are feeling what I have felt… and feel now. I am truly sorry Mistress~ _With that he erected a mental block in her mind to keep her away from most of the pain from his emotions, for him to it was hard, he was reliving something which he wished to forget. But unlike her, he couldn't erect a mental block, for them to see his memories, he must feel everything as if it was happening right then. All the pain, the horror, and the sorrow, he felt it as if it was still new and fresh.

Kel struggled against the emotions until she could take control of herself again, her eyes though… they still wept tears of sorrow that vanished in thin air as they fell down. _~…Thank you Raen…~_ she looked up Joren and tried a shaky smile, _~You also Joren, thank you_

Joren just released her arm and stepped away from her, not saying a word. He returned his gaze back onto the scene, keeping a glacial expression on his face as he continued to watch}

~

Raen lay on the ground, head down, uncaring if he looked weak… for he was, he couldn't even protect his own pups against Takashi. Quietly he waited for the final strike that would end his own life with something akin to relief. 

"No," that one word echoed into the air from Takashi's mouth. His lips twisted into a cruel grin as he looked down at Raen, "You shall not die today… I won't kill you, instead I'll let some humans do it." He gave a soft laugh into the air, "I will let some human who finds your nearly dead body to kill you for me, that will bring you humiliation enough." He smirked strangely, "You have been the first to actually harm me, and for that you must pay." He was of course referring to the gash at his side.

The hizar looked at him, eyes wide, _that is… the humiliation of dying not on my enemy's hands, but instead of some bystander who has a grudge against hizars…_He gave a swift glare at Takashi, eyes burning in hate, _The dishonor…_

Takashi grinned at the response, "Of course, I know how hizars work and what they hate the most… being beaten in a battle and being humiliated," he chuckled softly, "And one is already complete the other will be accomplished very very soon." He kneeled down and smirked as he stroked the hizar's head, Raen unable to do anything. "I almost feel sorry for you!" 

Raen gave a vicious hiss at Takashi, trying to struggle as the man picked him up with ease. _How… this is not normal! No HUMAN should be able to defeat me… us so easily! Why is it my fate to die such a dishonorable death?_

The man went over to his dapple-gray horse and threw Raen over the rump, spooking the horse until he viciously tugged down on the reins. He mounted and rode off several miles until he reached a mildly busy road, one that was traveled on about twice a week. Takashi laughed once again as he dumped Raen's body to the side of the road, talking lowly to him, "Well goodbye Raen of the Eclipse Guardian pack, to bad you weren't more of a challenge to me!" 

The hizar weakly lifted his head and wished that he could die before someone else found him… yet his honor code as a hizar claimed that they must never kill themselves, _that bastard probably knew that, which is why he made up this little plan. I shall probably die in a couple days time by some human who stumbled upon my body…_ He closed his pain filled dark blue eyes and tried to drift off into sleep, dimly hoping he'll be killed quickly. 

__

~End Memory Sequence~

Kel jerked her head up and gave a shudder, eyes filled with anguish. With shock she brought one hand up to her cheek to feel the slight dampness… of her tears. _I haven't cried in so long… so very long… Raen!_ She looked at him and found his trembling body, she could feel his pain and misery as much as her own. Quickly she moved over to his side and gently laid her hand upon his head, calling out softly, "Raen?"

Ice-blue eyes followed her movement, Joren sunk deep into his own thoughts, _who knew that the hizar had to go through that kind of hell… damnit, I'm getting soft,_ he breathed out a soft sigh, _oh well…_ With that he moved over next to Kel, looking down at Raen with a tinge of irritation, "Hey cat!" _It's not like I'm going to change anytime soon,_ a smirk slowly went up to his face. 

Raen slowly opened his eyes, his pain still in them. Relief entered his gaze as he looked upon Kel and Joren, for a moment he had almost forgotten that this had been a memory transfer. _Mistress… and Joren who-should-not-call-me-a-cat,_ haughtiness once again tinged his mind-voice, _I shall be fine…_

A smile appeared on her lips before it vanished as she once again thought about what she had found out about her bond's past, "Raen… really, are you okay?" Concern was clear in her hazel brown eyes. 

The hizar gave a nod until another thought occurred to him, _I am not done yet though! I have yet to give you the details of my fight with Takashi! _

Joren raised a brow, "Your fight?" suddenly the memory of what Takashi looked like struck him, "That man, Takashi, he was the same one from the tavern! One of the three guys that was looking for us… the leader of them." His brow furrowed as he continued to think to himself, finally he had to ask, "Did you bring them to look for us?"

"Joren!" Kel's indignant voice broke through his thoughts, "Raen would never lead them to us! Takashi was the one who _hurt_ him and his pack, why would he do that?" Irritation appeared in her eyes as she looked into his with accusation. 

He spat out back at her, "Do you really believe that I am as heartless as that?" she fell silent, just watching him, "I meant that since he didn't die that they are looking for him and consequently us!" He didn't know why he felt such anger when all Kel did was ask a question. 

__

Stop! Raen's mind-voice was weary, _Mistress, I knew what he was going to ask, and he wasn't accusing me of bringing them to go after you_ Kel didn't speak, she just looked at Joren apologetically, _And for your question_ he turned his bright gaze to Joren. _No, it is for a different reason, one that I cannot tell you yet, I… am sorry _He expelled a mental sigh in their heads, _Now… may I begin the fight sequence? The one I had with Takashi after you left the tavern?_

Kel and Joren both gave a nod and closed their eyes once more, wondering what would happen this time… and what they will see. Kel felt a sense of foreboding, while Joren felt that something was missing… yet each of them didn't know what, and they couldn't do anything about it, not yet anyway. So they both just concentrated on Raen and his memory, willing for what had happened to show up in their minds once more. 

__

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A/N:

IceWind: *blinks once, then twice* Oh wow! Hehe. How did you guys like THIS chapter? *she smiles* It may have been a little boring I know, with just a memory sequence, but did I do it okay?

Raen: *sniffs deeply* My entire pack… my KIDS were killed! How could you?

IceWind: *sweatdrop* It was dramatic Raen! I'm sooooo sorry! *winces at the glare he throws her and sighs* Oh well… I'll save the fight sequence memory thingy, for next chapter! *grins* Now, about the other story I'm going to start writing… I've decided to hold off until Aether is almost done. Let me just tell you that I'm not close to being done with Aether yet, do you guys know how many plot thingies I put into this story??? I have to answer all the questions, defeat all the bad-guys, get them back to Tortall, STILL find out what the Scanrans are up to… hehe ^.^ You get my point. 

Raen: *lies down and closes his eyes* my poor, poor little pups… 

IceWind: *she pointedly ignores him* Welll…. I hope you guys keep reading, and remember to review! Lol, ja ne! 

~

****

Facts:

__

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

__

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

__

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead, the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

__

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a tootsie pop *hands person a tootsie pop*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	15. The Guide

Aether Winds

Chapter fifteen- The Guide

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *blinks and grins* Wow! Chapter 15 already! *smiles*

Raen: *pads up* When are we gunna get to the elves? People are getting impatient!

IceWind: *sticks out her tongue at him and the readers* When I feel ready! I TOLD you guys this is a long fic! *sighs and pouts* Can you blame me for putting in a lot of detail and stuff?

Raen: *frowns* …

IceWind: *brightens* SEE! *grins* 

****

Sweet Thang: *sighs* Well, if it was a compliment… *grins* That's okay then, I just don't want to be seen as copying someone's work. That is never good right? 

****

Silverwing: Chapters? I'm not too sure in all actuality, I know exactly where I'm going to go, but I'm not too sure how to bunch it up into chapters yet, into the 20s most probably. Hope you guys can put up with me until I'm done! *winks then sighs* Ok, Ok! I'll get to the elves sooner then later like I was planning. *laughs* And Joren stop calling Raen a cat? *blinks and thinks* probably not!

****

Rhysati: It's not a stupid question… you see, it SYMBOLIZES something rather then tells what's going on in the chapter. Raen in the so-called 'phoenix' since his pack got decimated and he recovered from that and met up with Kel, understand? *smiles* 

****

Ti-Ti: *gives a sheepish smile* I'm not too sure myself, but I think it's an hour. So when you see the candle-mark, just think of it as an hour each time ok? 

****

Ekstatis: *gives an evil kind of smirk* Let me just say… if you knew me better you'd know that I tie EVERYTHING together… and that's all I'm going to say. And about Kel and Joren ***this is for everyone else also*** While I personally love them together… no relationship is perfect (especially theirs it seems!) Not only do they have steps forward, but also back, they HAVE to or else I think that the relationship is almost meaningless. *gives a shrug* That's because without arguments and such, then it's pretty much a false front or that it's not a good relationship at all, nothing is perfect especially if it has other people involved. They WILL get together, but _I_ decided when and where, Joren isn't just going to pop up to Kel and proclaims that he loves her and will love her for ever more. That's unrealistic, don't you think? Thanks for hearing my side of it all lol.

__

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kel cleared her mind of all thoughts, eyes closed, expression relaxed. Next to her Joren was the same way, each of them patiently waiting for Raen to start the memory process. If looked closely, one would be able to see the slightly pensive expression on her face, while waiting for Raen to begin.

Raen paused for a second, gathering energy to do the spell. Finally done, he also closed his eyes and linked his mind to Joren's and Kel's, his memories, feelings, and actions suddenly appearing in their minds. 

__

~Memory Sequence~

Raen glared at Takashi, his muscles taunt and ready, fury in his eyes. His side was bleeding from a deep gash where the man's sword had struck him. Quietly he began to circle him, eyes intent and movements fluid and graceful, ignoring the sharp lances of pain that were being emitted from the wound. Blood slowly dripped down his side to fall with soft 'pats' upon the ground, staining it a crimson red. 

Takashi watched the hizar with something akin to amusement; he stood still, just moving his eyes. He firmly gripped his bloodstained sword, a smirk playing on his face as he followed Raen's movements. "You seemed to have gotten slower… weaker… then the last time we met, Raen of the Eclipse Guardian pack," his smirk just got bigger as he saw the glare the hizar pointed at him, "Don't tell me that since you bonded to that girl you have forgotten about what happened. Don't you plan to take revenge?" His voice was cool, his eyes mocking the hurt hizar. 

A soft hiss escaped from his muzzle, eyes flashing dangerously, _how I hate that man…_ Raen continued to circle, looking for the best place to attack. Sharp eyes scan the man's form, up and down, not missing a single detail about him. _I don't see any opening… Teraith damn it!_ He unconsciously named one of the seven gods in his thoughts, the god of hunt and the chase, the patron god of all hizars. _My side hurting isn't helping the matter either… the demon MUST have a weakness! I have to find it!_

~

{Kel looked upon the scene with worry apparent in her eyes. _Calm down Mindelan, you are like stone… this is just Raen's memory remember? It already happened and Raen's okay…_ suddenly another thought occurred to her, _I must be going nuts, I'm talking to myself._ A soft sigh escaped her lips as she returned her attention to the oncoming fight.

Joren watched Kel out of the corner of his eye, noting that she wasn't about to do something stupid like she tried to do last time, _it wasn't really that stupid… I mean… how would you feel if you just say your bonded's entire family get killed?_ He blinked and shook his head to clear his thoughts. _Greaattt… not only do I have to deal with over grown cats, another world, people chasing us, I also have to put up with talking to myself._ He frowned slightly and watched the pacing hizar and man, focusing his attention to them instead.

She turned from the fight for a moment, looking at Joren with a frown on her face, _~That man is the same one that attacked Raen and his pack~_ Her hands clenched by her sides, coldness for the man emanating from her eyes. Her look of rage was not lost on him.

He gave a curt nod towards her, attention still on the battle. His brows furrowed as he watched the entire thing, finally saying out loud, _~That man… he moves to fast for a regular human, way too fast~_ His ice-blue eyes narrowed, slight confusion in them, _~The cat wouldn't have missed otherwise~_

Raen's mind-voice suddenly filled their heads, it sounded slightly annoyed though it was apparent that the annoyance was only directed at Joren, _~What have I said about calling me a cat?!~_ A sigh was heard before he continued to speak, _~Doesn't matter right now I suppose. And for your question human…~_ The hizar made the word human sound like something to be stepped on, _~I believe it's either the gems or the demon's master who gave him the power~_

Joren just gave a slight scowl, even though he knew that the Raen couldn't see him, just as they couldn't see the hizar. He gave a slight nod before going back to the fight.}

~

Takashi quickly grew tired of the hizar's constant pacing and lunged at him, sword thrusting towards the chest area. His movements were quick and swift, dealt with deadly accuracy. At the last moment, Raen jumped to the side, hissing furiously. He pivoted on a foot and lunged towards the man, aiming down for his legs, claws extended. 

The man glared down at the attacking hizar, and smoothly sidestepped out of the way, his sword now going in the direct line of the hizar's path. Raen gave a soft snarl in defiance and jump up over the blade, claws striking out quickly and making a slight gash on the side of Takashi's face. Blood welled up in the cut and slowly dripped out before the cut disappeared, nothing, not even a scar, remaining on the man's face.

"Is that all you have?" Takashi grinned ferally and gripped one of the gems around his throat, eyes flashing dangerously. A red/black aura seemed to surround him, fire curling up around him, yet at the same time not hurting him. He said coldly, an amused glint in his eyes, "How about this?" He held out a hand in front of him and started to shoot out fireballs at a rapid speed, each one deadly accurate and with enough firepower to level a small house.

Raen looked at the fireballs sharply; in split-second decision his eyes turned a deep blue and began to counter the fire with streams of fast shooting water. At impact with the fire, both elements canceled each other out. He began to run, dodging the fireballs and hitting away with water those that he knew he couldn't dodge fast enough. Anger sparked in his gaze, a furious one. A low hiss emerged as he ran towards Takashi at a quick speed, _die demon!_ He went for a tackle, head lowered, body ridged. 

At the incoming hizar, Takashi smoothly let go of the dark red gem and grabbed the sickly yellow one, his aura now yellow with tinges of black. As the hizar leaped a shield suddenly seemed to appear, slamming Raen away, electricity crackling around the hizar's prone body. A malicious chuckle escaped the man's mouth and he began to shoot lightening at the open form.

__

Pain… it lanced through Raen's body fiercely, with each strike hit against him, it seemed to double in intensity. He shuddered and tried to pull himself together, tried to get away from the blasts, dark blue eyes filled with pain. He refused to cry out, Takashi may have taken away his past life, but his honor… never. 

~

{_~Raen!~_ Kel cried out in anguish, almost feeling the pain in her own body. Anger was apparent in her gaze as she screamed out to the unheeding man, _~Stop it you monster! Leave Raen alone!~_ She once again made a move as if she would run at Takashi, but Joren got in her way, eyes glittering with an unspoken emotion.

__

~Stop it Kel, you aren't thinking again~ He knew that she was hurting, but she could not do anything about it, he needed to get that face through to her. _~Why can't you LISTEN for once in your life Kel? Stop acting so foolish, as if you don't deserve to be a knight of Tortall! I know that you're stronger then this!~_

She turned her gaze towards him, fury not even beginning to describe her emotion felt towards him and the scene she was witnessing, _~I did deserve to be a knight! I passed the chamber! I got my shield!~_

A sneer slowly appeared on his face, and he answered her with brutal honesty, _~You may have deserved it then, but what about now? You keep acting like a page, or worse! One of those idiotic court ladies! You know for a fact this already happened, yet you still keep going on as if you can change it!~ _His ice-blue eyes stared down at hers calmly, ready to meet any retaliation. Unbeknownst to him, someone was watching them with deep thought…

Horror appeared on her face for a moment, and she seemed to step back once. Kel's hazel brown eyes looked slightly confused, as she whispered, _~Like… a court lady? Not all of them are bad like you think!~_ She groped for something to tell him, saying the first thing that came to her mind, _~The queen isn't!~_

Joren looked down at her with exasperation, saying calmly, _~I said IDIOTIC court ladies Kel, you and I know that there are plenty in court~_

She winced as his words hit home, falling silent for several seconds. Finally she gave a nod, murmuring softly, _~Thank you…~_ At that she turned away at Joren and rested her gaze upon Raen and Takashi, eyes expressionless. 

He watched her for a moment more, making sure she was fine, _damnit, why do I even care? _Shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, Joren followed Kel's gaze to the memory once more.}

~

Takashi gave a short laugh, "This was even easier then last time! You have grown weaker! You are not even a good practice round anymore, pathetic!" He strode over powerfully, his hand once again at the pommel of his sword, "I shall finish you off mercifully, aren't I so nice?" A smirk appeared as he raised his sword into the air. 

Raen tried to shake of the momentary paralysis from the electricity that had flowed through him, desperately trying to gather his thoughts. _I cannot die now… Mistress and that boy need my help still…_ He blinked to clear his gaze, watching the man stride towards him with narrow eyes, _closer… closer… NOW!_ The hizar suddenly rolled onto his belly and struck out at Takashi's stomach, claws ripping through the tunic as if it wasn't there. His claws dug into the soft flesh and tore through it viciously. 

The man staggered back a few paces, his non-sword arm clutching his wound, eyes slightly wide. Blood streamed out from the cuts and gashes, pushing out through small places where the arm could not cover it. The damage was extensive; the hizar had even managed to his some key organs. "Shit!" An uncharacteristic curse emerged from Takashi's mouth, eyes filled with anger. "Never mind then… I'll kill you slow and painfully!" The wound slowly closed as the man once again moved in closer, an insane glint in his eyes. "Die!" His sword swooped down towards the hizar. 

A smirked seemed to play on the hizar's muzzle and a white glow surrounded him, _Not yet I won't_ Just before the sword struck his body, Raen seemed to glow a bright silver and disappeared, one last thought echoing through Takashi's mind, _Bye bye! _The sword hit the ground heavily, dust rising from it and a scar in the earth from the blade.

~

{A relieved look appeared in Kel's face, eyes sparkling with amusement as she questioned softly, _~Bye bye, Raen?~_ A soft chuckle escaped her lips, feeling to much relief to be like stone. 

Even Joren looked slightly amused at the hizar's departing thought, _~Well… seems that the cat has a slight sense of humor after all~_ He gave a wicked grin as he felt, rather then saw, the hizar's scowl.

__

~I needed to say something witty!~ Raen's indignant mind-voice cried out, sounding slightly miffed at their amusement. 

Kel's lips twitched in an effort to stay serious, every so often giggling softly to herself, _~Surrreee… REAL witty Raen…~ _Even Raen couldn't help but hear the sarcasm in her voice.

A soft sigh was heard, and Raen grumbled, _~No appreciation…~_}

~

Raen reappeared near the town of Morain, a soft sigh escaping his muzzle, _to bad I can only teleport to places that I have already gone to…_He suddenly collapsed, energy severely drained. _I… I think I should just rest for a bit… before I find Mistress._ He laid his head down on the forest floor, closing his eyes wearily, ignoring the pain from his many wounds.

__

~End Memory Sequence~

Kel and Joren opened their eyes, feeling as if sleep had suddenly lifted from them. She shook her head to clear her thoughts looking at the tired Raen, "So that's what happened…"

The hizar gave a weary nod, _After a moment I summoned up energy to track and find you. I had to, Takashi might have found you before I had_ His head dropped back down to the ground, a silent yawn emitted from his muzzle. His ears drooped down to press against his head, he was tired.

Suddenly all three of them heard a distant sound of hooves hitting the ground. Joren bolted up and put his hand upon the pommel of his sword, silently listening. Kel unsheathed griffin, eyes serious and intent. Raen just flicked up his ears, willing to wait until whomever there was out there was closer, before getting up himself. 

Kel cast a look at Joren, softly whispering to him, "What do you think?" She held herself tensely, disliking having to wait. _Damn it we are not up for another battle so soon! Raen is still hurt… and if it's that man Takashi…_ She shuddered to herself; it went unnoticed by the hizar or Joren. 

He looked over at her before returning his gaze to where the sound is coming from, murmuring softly, "It may be Takashi… we'll just have to stay quiet and hope they pass us without noticing." He crouched down next to a tree, his dark clothes blending with the darkness of night, "Put out the fire."

For once she did what he asked… well told… without hesitation, she cupped her gem and her hand seemed to glow red for a moment. The fire dimmed and finally died out, nothing stirring from the cold ashes. That done, she returned her concentration upon the sounds. 

Several minutes passed by, the sound of horses getting louder and louder with each minute. Raen was now up on his feet; his teeth bared slightly, _no innocent traveler rides around this late at night with all the bandits out…_ His fur bristled a little, making him seem slightly larger then usual and his puffed up fur hid all of his cuts and wounds. 

The sounds got closer and nearer, finally stopping right next to the bushes that surrounded the camp. They all tensed up and prepared to attack when the leaves rustled and started to move. In their view poked two heads… with large wondering eyes… and halters…

Kel was the first to snap out of her wide-eyed gaze, followed closely by Joren. "Arctic Wind?" Her voice was hesitant and tinged with disbelief, "Demon Wind?" If she were prone to fainting… she probably would have been down on the forest floor.

The two horses emerged from the brush and went up to Kel and Joren, their coats glistening, and heads held up high. The filly's ice-blue eyes stared down into Kel's, reminiscent of their first meeting, before she nickered softly in welcome and nudged the shocked girl. The ebony stallion trotted up to Joren, his stance proud. He only gave one low whinny in acknowledgment before he fell silent. 

Joren ran a critical eye over the horse, still wondering how they could have found them… and knew that they needed rides to go to that elf place. _Something isn't right…_ He raised his hand and mechanically stroked Demon's nose as he gazed around with suspicion.

__

Er… Mistress? the hizar looked quite lost as he stared at the two horses his mistress and the boy seemed to know well. His dark blue eyes stared at the equines with curiosity, wishing to know where they came from and why.

"I can answer that question for you Raen of the Eclipse Guardian Pack…" A soft graceful voice wafted into the air and a figure appeared, leading one last horse behind him. The man had long blond hair up to his shoulders and bright forest green eyes. He was wearing unique clothing that seemed to blend into the forest whenever he moved and he carried himself with unconscious grace as he walked towards them. The man seemed to ignore the fact that Kel and Joren both had their swords out towards him, and stopped in front of them both, giving an elegant bow, "My name is Laynith, and I shall be your guide to the elfin forest, Loryinthia." 

They all unconsciously looked up at his ears… they were pointed, confirming that he was indeed an elf. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:

IceWind: *she sweatdrops* I am so SORRY that this chapter is sooo short, it's out late, AND its at a cliff hanger… *cringes* I just have a lot of school work to do, I'm starting to write a new story that I haven't even posted yet… 

Raen: *he sighs* Yes, yes… they don't want to hear your excuses Mistress…

IceWind: *levels a glare at him* Anyway, I'll get you guys to the elf place sooner then I was going to because I'm so nice! *chuckles* So I provided Kel, Joren, and Raen with an elfin guide named Laynith! 

Kaori: *she snorts softly*

IceWind: *ignores her* A hem… And I also got Kel and Joren some horses! *winks* Do you remember them????? *laughs* Anyway… Nothing else to say so review! ja!

~

Facts:

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead, the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a tootsie pop *hands person a tootsie pop*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	16. The Long Awaited Arrival

Aether Winds

Chapter sixteen- The Long Awaited Arrival

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *a rather depressed look came over her face* I've been getting fewer reviews for my chapters *she sniffs dolefully* It's been going down… spiraling down…

Raen: *sighs* She's kinda upset, can't you tell?

IceWind: *frowns slightly* So I shall ask for more reviews from you readers… at least 10… or… or else! *looks stricken* 

Raen: *blinks* err……..

IceWind: *sobs out* I'm SERIOUS! *her sad mood suddenly dissipates* Well anyway, other then the lack of reviews I'm fine! So remember to review!

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Ti-TI: *sighs* I'm sorry, but I don't think I have time to do another story! It's hard enough updating Aether without having to worry about anything else. And I don't know if an elf is the most powerful 'thing' of all creatures, it depends on what you think…

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Xelena: *grins* Cliffhangers are GOOD lol. As you can see when you finish reading this chapter, that there is another one at the bottom of the page! 

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TheBlindAssasin: *grins evilly* You'll just have to find out what happens to Kel and Raen in the upcoming chapter, or chapters.

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Dawn was swiftly approaching as they stared at the elf. Little gleams of light already broke through on the horizon, signaling night's end. Laynith gave a charming smile at them all, his bright green eyes taking in the entire group. When his eyes landed on Kel he gasped inwardly, but outwardly didn't show it. He fixed on her an easy grin and raised her hand, kissing it softly, "Pleasure to meet you Mi'lady."

Kel looked at him in surprised, hazel brown eyes slightly widened. She stood frozen in indecision, wondering what to do. _Goddess, why does this happen to me?_ She managed a slight smile back, trying not to seem too obvious as she pulled back her hand. Tilting her head slightly, she asked the elf, "Do I know you?" Her gaze darted towards the horse behind him, seeing a rather tall, showy looking gray stallion with light blue eyes. Once again her gaze widened as she saw the eyes and she mummered, "Mithros…"

Next to her, Raen looked at the elf with thinly disguised dislike, eyes slightly narrowed, a suspicious look on his face. He looked up at Kel when she spoke, and turned his eyes towards the horses with slight curiosity before suddenly speaking up, eyes wide, _Those are Kalyrath horses!_ He trotted right up to the gray stallion and stared at it for several moments.

Joren just folded his arms and glared slightly at the elf, his ice-blue eyes highly suspicious, _at least Kel looks like she doesn't know what's going on…. Why do I care? I don't…_ He turned his attention back to Demon Wind, eyes looking critically over his form before a reluctant smile appeared on his face when he saw that the stallion looked sleek and well cared for.

"Kalyrath horses?" Kel glanced down at Raen, forgetting about the elf in front of her for a moment, "What are you talking about Raen?" She pushed back a strand of hair from her eyes, looking down at the hizar curiously. 

Joren glanced at the other horse, then at his and Kel's with a thoughtful look on his face, turning his back on the elf, he spoke, "We have the same kind of horses as that elf right?" Demon Wind trotted up next to Joren and nudged his shoulder with his nose lightly, as if he was confirming Joren's suspicion. They all seemed to ignore the rapidly become annoyed elf.

The elf almost scowled, but smoothed over his expression, stepping once again in front of Kel, "I can explain Mi'lady, that's what I'm here for. That and to guide you to our fair forest." He seemed to think for a moment before talking once again, "And you shall see soon how I know of you Mi'lady, when we get to the Elven forest there our king and queen shall answer all of your questions."

She once again fixed her attention on the elf, "My name is Keladry, but you can call me Kel. None of that Mi'lady stuff, I'm a knight of Tortall and not some weak court lady." She said that sentence with a rather proud air about her, eyes holding the elf's with a look that dared him to contradict her.

Laynith seemed to almost be horrified at the thought of calling Kel anything but 'Mi'lady'. He shook his head rapidly, explaining himself, "Nay, Mi'lady, I cannot tell you why I will not call you anything else but such… that you shall find our for yourself soon enough when--"

Joren cut in, eyes highly annoyed it seemed, by the elf's actions and words, "we get to this forest of yours. You already told us." With that he tugged on Kel's arm and started to pull her away to a tree where the elf couldn't hear them speak, with no explanation why he was doing so. He fully expected Raen to follow and the elf to keep an eye on their horses.

The hizar gave the elf a disgusted look and walked off after the duo, his form fluid and graceful as he moved. _At least I like the boy better then elves… _He gave a mental shudder as his body went through the leaves and his feet stepped over rocks, _elves… if Mistress didn't need their help…_ He let that thought drift in his mind without finishing it. 

The elf gave a sigh and settled down on a nearby rock, patiently waiting for their talking to end. He whistled piercingly and the dark gray horse trotted down until he was beside the elf. Laynith rummaged through the packs that the horse carried until he came upon his quiver and arrows. Calmly placing the weapons on his back and his bow in his hand, he mummered softly to the stallion, "Good job Storm Cloud."

~

Kel gave Joren a scowl, whispering to him fiercely, "Now why did you do that?" Their faces and bodies were hidden in some heavy tree foliage, the elf not being able to hear or see them talk, just in case he was able to read lips. She pulled her arm from his grasp as soon as they were far enough away from Laynith.

He just gave her a mild glare back, muttering just as soft, "Why do you think Kel? Do you really think that we can trust him? I, for one, don't like him at all." His eyes held glimmers of suspicion, backing up his accusations. 

Raen looked up at them, his eyes grave, _For once I agree with the boy about not liking the elf… but he IS trustworthy…_ The hizar looked displeased as he spoke, _All elves are once you have them give you their word… They are kind of like hizars in that manner_ His ears pricked up towards Joren and Kel, his ebony body easily hidden in the shadows of the foliage. 

She mussed over their options for a couple of moment before she spoke softly, "But… we have to trust him, them, if we are to get home, back to Tortall…" Her eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment as she remembered the court, and her friends. _I wonder how they are all doing… Neal… he would be shocked that I can live with Joren for more then five minutes…_ a small smile quirked on her face in remembrance, _Cleon… how many more bad poems will he write to girls? Owen… is he still 'jolly'? And how are those cousins of his doing? Ahh… I miss them all…_

"Kel!" Joren looked down at her with an annoyed expression on his face; "You seemed to blank out for a couple of moments." His ice-blue eyes looked down at her hazel ones, his hands still on her shoulders when he was shaking her to try to get her attention. 

"Huh?" She looked up at him with a slightly sheepish smile; _he's so close…ACK! What am I thinking??? Bad thoughts Kel! You are like stone!_ Kel pulled out of his grasp, her eyes expressing confusion before a blank mask fell over them. 

Raen looked at them both with something akin to suspicion, eyes highly amused, _My Mistress and the boy… _He mentally scowled, _she could do SO much better…_ With that thought in mind, he mentally coughed in their heads to get their attention; pleased when he saw both pairs of eyes look down at him. He stated with a slightly regal air, _My Mistress is right; the only way to get you home is to go to the elves for help_

Suddenly Kel seemed to realize something, and her eyes widened, _we are so close to home… but what will happen to Raen and our bond? I… I don't know what to do, maybe convince him to go with us? _She sneaked a look towards Joren; _I don't think that's fair though… to take Raen away from his world. I mean, look at Joren and me… we want to get home so desperately, what would Raen feel?_ She seemed depressed at the thought until Joren's voice once again cut through her musing.

"Kel!" He looked at her; irritation clearly expressed now, "What is with you and blanking out? This is serious Mindelan!" His light blond hair fell over his eyes as he looked down, giving him a boyishly cute look. 

She darted a look at him and Raen, both looking at her with something alike confusion in their eyes. She once again smiled self-consciously, wondering to herself at the weird thought of pushing Joren's hair away from his eyes. Suddenly a scowl appeared as she registered his words on her mind, "Hey! I am serious!" At his disbelieving look she scowled even more, "Okay, why don't we go to the elf forest and go home? That's the plan… let's stick by it shall we?"

Raen gave a slight nod of his head, _I shall follow you anywhere Mistress…_ His silver chain around his neck gleamed slightly in the specks of light that flickered through the dense foliage. His eyes held his level of seriousness, devotion to her complete. 

Joren gave a shrug, then also nodded, "It's the only thing we can do to get back to Tortall…" He frowned as he looked down at Raen, suddenly asking, "What are Kalyrath horses anyway? Demon Wind and Arctic Wind are of that species… do they all have blue eyes?"

Kel suddenly smiled peacefully at the scene of Joren and Raen talking to each other without fighting, a thought running through her head, _would you really follow me everywhere Raen?_ She looked at the hizar, wanting to know the answer to Joren's question as well.

With a flick of his tail, Raen turned around and began to walk back to the elf, his mind-voice echoing in their heads, _The elf can explain better then I can, hizar's can't ride remember? And yes, all Kalyrath horses do have blue eyes, different shades of blue, but all blue nether the less_ With that he bounded out of the foliage and towards the waiting elf. 

Joren and Kel exchanged glances, both of them uncertain if they should trust the elf. Kel finally gave a shrug towards him and left to go after the hizar… Joren following her a couple of steps away.

~

Laynith looked up from where he was tending Storm Cloud, saying evenly, "Done talking?" He causally mounted his horse, gripping the reins loosely. "We'll ride to the Elven forest, we should reach it by nightfall." He gave a disarming smile at Kel, almost, but not quite, ignoring Joren and Raen. Storm Cloud danced restlessly under him, quieting when Laynith patted his neck.

Kel couldn't help but smile back at the elf and gave a nod, "Yes…" She swiftly walked over to Arctic Wind and mounted, reveling in the feeling of riding a horse again without having to walk. The filly flicked an ear back at her, but other then that, stood quietly, waiting for the command to ride out. 

With a soft whistle, Demon Wind trotted over to Joren, head tossing proudly. Joren eyed the stallion for a second before he too mounted, wheeling the horse around with an expert hand. His eyes slightly narrowed at the elf, but he still said nothing, only looking down at the hizar with something akin to amusement, "What about you? Can you keep up?"

Kel looked over worriedly, brushing back a strand of mahogany hair, "Raen?" She looked uncertain as to what to do. _I don't think he can run as fast as a horse can… I know his stamina is good though…_

The hizar leveled a proud glare at the smirking elf, stating calmly for them to hear, _Hizars, especially me, can run as fast as any horse… even those of Kalyrath blood_ His ebony fur shined in the morning's light, even though it had only been a couple of candle-marks since he had arrived and told his stories he felt better already, hizars do heal extremely fast… Raen stretched his legs for good measure, thinking that this would be a tiring ride today. 

Laynith just gave a nod in acknowledgment at the hizar before nudging Storm Cloud's side, urging him into a fast, ground-eating trot. He glanced behind him briefly, calling out to them all, "Let's go then… to the forest of Loryinthia, where the royal family of the elves resides!" His long blond hair whirled around him as he once again looked forward, towards the path he knew that they would have to take to get there.

~

They had been riding for some time… a couple of candle marks at the least. Kel sighed softly, patting Arctic Wind's neck comfortingly, the horse's hooves beating down upon the forest floor in a muffled rhythm. She glanced around her curiously, eyeing the dense forest with caution, before finally calling up to Laynith, who was scouting the way, "Laynith?"

The elf turned his bright emerald green eyes towards her, something akin to adoration in his eyes, "Yes Mi'lady?" he intoned in a curious voice. His horse continued to trot, evidently knowing where to place his steps even though his rider wasn't paying any attention.

"What are Kalyrath horses? I know that Arctic Wind, Demon Wind, and Storm Cloud are of the same species, but I have never heard of them before," her voice had an inflection of confusion, wishing to know. "Raen said something about all of them having blue eyes, but that's pretty much it. He said that you know them better then he does since he doesn't ride horses," slight amusement colored her tone at the last sentence.

Joren listened in carefully, also wishing to know himself. He gave Demon a harder squeeze in the ribs, urging him up closer to Kel and the elf. Next to him, Raen ran faster, body only giving twinges of pain now, his mind entirely focused on keeping watch. The hizar proved to be as good as his word, not showing signs of any slowing down since they first began to move.

Laynith gave a soft chuckle in amazement, "You haven't heard of the treasured Kalyrath horses? They are one of the elves greatest treasures!" He fondly patted the side of Storm Cloud's neck, a proud smile on his face, "It's considered an honor to be… chosen by them."

"Chosen?" Kel looked confused once more, head slightly tilted in question, "What does that mean? Why are they so special anyway? I mean… other then seeming rather intelligent and all having blue eyes, I don't know what's so special." Under her, Arctic Wind gave a soft snort and a mild buck. Kel's eyes widened as she quickly held on tightly to the horse.

With a laugh, Laynith called out to the horse, "Mi'lady didn't know what she implied by that, honored one!" He once again focused his attention on Kel, saying mildly, "They are more then that. They too are sentient beasts, able to discern your meaning," he paused for a second, thinking over what he would say next, "The elves consider them a treasure because it is said that the first pair of Kalyrath horses came from the our mother goddess. She gave them to help the elves keep watch over our fair world of Medea." He relaxed slightly under the soothing swaying motions caused by the horse trotting, "They are all blue-eyed to symbol their purity, for none can subvert them and go against their chosen, not even with the foulest of magics. Each and every one is highly intelligent, their intelligence even rivals ours," he gave a slight smile at the shocked look on Kel's face.

With a slight suspicious look, Joren looked down at the horse under him, brow slightly raised in thought, _they are as intelligent as we are? Humph… I'll believe that when I see it…_ He gave a slight smirk, reveling in the feel of the barely restrained power of the horse.

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Believe it Chosen…

"What the fuck?!" Joren said that loudly, a disbelieving look on his face as he heard a deep masculine voice from inside his head, "Who… what?" For once he seemed flustered, not liking this at all. The voice seemed to give a ringing laugh, amusement apparent in it.

Abruptly Kel and Laynith halted their horses, both of their eyes mirroring their confusion. Raen stopped quickly, pivoting on a foot to look at Joren, his head slightly tilted. 

Joren looked at them all and asked in a calmly tone, "Don't tell me you can't hear that…" his face expressed his annoyance, he glared stonily at them all. He too stopped his horse, looking around.

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They can't Chosen… I chose you to ride me… thus only you can hear me abruptly Joren became aware that the voice came from his horse, _The others cannot hear me talk, unlike Raen, I do not have his mind-speaking capabilities _

He looked down at Demon Wind, finally asking with some dim part of him knowing that he was ignoring his comrades, "You mean that you horses can only speak with your bonded?" He brushed back a tendril of his hair, in his own way of expressing his nervousness.

Demon shook his head as if he was really replying to that question, _No… out of the three Kalyrath horses only you and me can talk to the other. You have that ability to do so, the others do not… though…_ his mind-voice seemed slightly wistful, _some thought that the lady would have been able to… but… Arctic Wind tells me that she does not have the ability_

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The lady? Kel… Joren slowly gave a nod before voicing more questions, "Why did you think that Kel would have it? And why didn't you talk to me before?" his voice held an overtone of annoyance for having found out later then it should have been.

Silently Kel leaned over Arctic's side to look down at Raen, murmuring to softly for Joren to hear, "What's going on?" Confusion dominated her voice before she put on her Yamani mask, wiping all emotions clean away.

Realization lit up both the hizar's and elf's faces, one expressing amusement, the other slight jealousy. Raen calmly answered his mistress, thinking to himself; _maybe he wouldn't be such a bad match for my Mistress…better then an elf surely,_ _Joren and Demon Wind are talking to each other_ Quickly he began to explain to her what that meant while Joren and Demon were talking to each other.

Jealousy flashed through Laynith's face, _that's not fair… a human has the ability yet an elf does not?_ He silently watched what was going around him, trying to push back the unfamiliar feelings of envy course through his veins.

__

The first question I cannot answer for you shall soon learn it in the land of the elves… And I didn't talk to you before because I had nothing to say worthwhile Storm Cloud stated that simply, touches of amusement heard in Joren's head. _Now let the elf finish explaining about us… and we shall continue on our journey to_ _Loryinthia_ the voice in Joren's head fell silent. 

He looked up, eyeing the rest of the group, wondering what they were now thinking about him since they had heard him talk out loud; _I must have sounded like a dolt._ Once again he tried to brush back that stubborn tendril of hair that seemed to insist staying in the way of his eyes, preparing himself to explain.

But instead of having to do so, Kel just gave him a smile and spoke, "Raen told me what was happening, and Laynith should already know," she glanced at him quickly and got a nod for her answer, "so you don't have to explain to us Joren." She looked around, "Well… let's go then!" Once again she kicked her horse into a trot, "Laynith… what else do you know about Kalyrath horses?"

Laynith rode on ahead, once again taking the lead, the others following beside Kel, "Well Mi'lady… they are excellent fighters when need be and they all can communicate with any of their kind up to a specific distance," he thought to himself, "Also… they will not let any ride them except for their chosen, which is why being chosen is such a big deal. The only people that can ride on some one else's Kalyrath horse are soul mates and the seven gods know how rare those are!" he gave a soft chuckle at the last sentence.

"What are soul mates anyway Laynith?" Kel's hazel brown eyes looked at him inquisitively, "You and Raen have mentioned them before… but exactly what are they?"

He looked back at her with a serious expression on his face, his voice slightly dreamy; "A person who is part of a soul mate shares a soul with another. They go throughout life with half a soul until they find their love, their soul-mate to share the rest of their lives with." He grinned ruefully, "Many dream of having one… but truthfully, they are extremely rare. You may not know that you have a soul mate until you both discover your love to one another, unlike what most think, it's not a love at first sight sort of thing. First you must discover the love you share and then when it is expressed…" he trailed off before continuing once more, "Then you feel a binding of the halves of your soul until it is one once more, then you feel as if you can never separate yourself for to long from someone, and if they die… you also die. Not everything about a soul mate is happy… a lot of the time it has sadness in it also." 

Joren listened to the information and gave a silent snort, _soul mates, nothing more then a legend passed down to those who wish for love._ His ice-blue eyes expressed his contempt for it. Demon Wind flicked an ear back at him, clearly having heard his thoughts, but said nothing.

Kel gave a smile at the thought of having a soul mate; suddenly she pulled her reins short, causing Arctic Wind to stop dead, and listened intently. She tensed up as the sound of fast approaching footsteps reached her sensitive ears and narrowed her eyes, asking the Laynith, who had stopped when she did, "Are we expecting others?"

He looked slightly surprised, not having heard the footsteps himself and shook his head, "No…" he trailed off and listened himself, now hearing the footsteps march closer to them. He frowned and took off his bow, stringing an arrow to it, saying briefly, "Get ready for battle." Storm Cloud tensed under him, fairly dancing in readiness to meet the foe. 

Joren unsheathed his sword quickly, holding it loosely in his grasp, battle readiness settling down upon him. Raen gave a soft, nearly inaudible, hiss; his fur raising slightly as he crouched in the direction of the sound of footsteps, while Kel unsheathed Griffin, holding it by her. Rigidly they waited for their coming adversary.

They crashed into the small clearing, 15 armored, sneering men. Each one held either a sword or an ax, eager to attack. One stood out in front of them with a shock of red hair, he smirked and spoke, "You," he pointed at Kel, "will be taken to my master, kill all others!" He ordered his men brusquely, expecting easy victory even though they were facing against two people and one elf on Kalyrath horses and a hizar. The men charged swiftly at the quartet. 

Immediately Laynith loosed his arrow, it flew straight and true, catching one of the attackers in the throat, killing him as the arrow slammed through his esophagus and out the back end. The man fell to the ground before he could even utter a scream, his face a blank death mask. With no emotion on his face the elf strung another arrow and loosed it almost as soon as it touched his bowstring, his accurate deadly. He killed three more this way before he had to cast his bow aside and fight with a short sword. Storm Cloud pivoted and spun, giving his chosen the best fighting position.

Raen leaped at one of the men, his body like a blur as he ran. His claws hamstrung one man, and the attacker fell down heavily, cursing all of the way. Raen whirled around, his claws sinking deep into the throat, blood spraying on him as he hit the jugular and ripped through it, a maniacal gleam in his dark blue eyes. As soon as he dispatched the man, he lunged at another, severing the tendons in the sword arm with a quick swipe of his sharp claws, leaving it useless. That done, he leaped up and clamped his jaws into the man's throat, using his weight to swing around the body, letting another man's sword who meant to hit the hizar, hit his comrade, killing him. The hizar dropped and lunged at the prone man whose sword was currently in his partner.

Kel and Joren immediately assumed position, back to back, each other's horse facing the attackers. They both yelled out cries of defiance as they hacked and slashed at the men swarming around them. Arctic Wind reared up, her front hooves crushing a man under her, pounding him into a bloody dust as Kel stuck her sword in a gap of an attacker's breast plate, skewering him with a quick thrust to the heart. She quickly yanked out the sword as the man slid off her sword to drop to the ground below, searching for her next target.

Likewise Demon Wind was also lashing out with his hooves and teeth, grabbing one man by the shoulder and shaking him viciously while Joren slashed at the unprotected throat. Crimson blood sprayed upon them both, but they ignored it as they attacked another. Seeing an opening, Joren's sword snaked out, lobbing off a man's hand with a vicious swipe, doubling back to do the same to his head…

Though not as adept with using a short sword as with his bow, Laynith set to work doggedly, his sword flashing in the sun as he swung down. Soon he was disarmed and he spurred Storm Cloud into a gallop, his back now to a bunch of trees. Smirking maliciously, he reached up to a hidden necklace and cupped a green teardrop gem in his hands. He seemed to glow green for a moment as vines lashed out from hidden places, wrapping around a man's neck, choking him to death. After a few moments he was dropped, purple bruises ringing his neck with an unseeing look in his eyes. The elf used his magicked vines to ward off other men. 

With malevolent intentions, the hizar hissed at his opponents, silently taking glee at the uncertain look on their faces. Using that to his advantage he attacked one, his gem glowing silver, and his claws somehow raking through the metal breastplates and into the soft body. Quickly he disemboweled the man and left him on the ground to die.

The remaining three men charged Joren and Kel together, fury apparent on their faces. Kel watched them coolly, cupping her own white gem in her hand. With battle rage coursing through her veins, heightening her senses she sent a pure white beam of energy at a man, burning a hole through him, easily dispatching him. She looked at another and her brow furrowed in concentration as another beam of energy was shot, it too killing the man. The last one charged at her too quickly for her to fire, and she dropped her gem in shock, trying to bring Griffin up to block his sword attack.

Joren suddenly was in the middle of her and the man, his sword swinging quickly as he found the weaknesses in the man's armor, too quick for the attacker to block all of the strikes. Soon the man was riddled with gashes and blood and Joren finished it with a clean swipe through the neck. With a thud, the last opponent dropped down to the forest floor, staining the ground beneath him red.

Slowly they all looked at each other, each one heaving labored breaths. Not one of them got through unscathed, though the wounds weren't that serious. With a pained voice Laynith spoke, "The elven forest should be half a candle mark away, there we can rest… and tend more carefully to our wounds." His right hand clutched his left arm where blood slowly trickled out from a rather nasty looking gash. He nudged Storm Cloud forward into a walk, going to the place where his sword had been knocked out of his hand.

~

They rode slightly faster now to the forest, each one eager to get there and rest. The horses were nearly unhurt, only light scrapes and cuts on their bodies. Demon Wind made sure that Joren relay that he and the other horses were fine and they could keep up this pace. Raen was in front of Kel, on Arctic Wind, his wounds preventing him from running. He lay on his stomach, eyes closed, his legs dangling out to the sides of the horse. 

Suddenly Laynith stopped and raised up his good hand to halt the others. Quietly he spoke and his gem glowed green… a passageway suddenly appeared. He gave a relieved smile and spoke, "Here is the path to Loryinthia, let us make haste," and with that he kicked his horse into the path, now riding faster then before.

Silently Joren and Kel followed him, the path disappearing from behind them as soon as they got through. Their exhaustion showed in their faces, though both tried to hide it. Once again Laynith slowed down, his green eyes shining with excitement. With exaggerated slowness, he pulled back tree branches, which fell like a curtain in front of the path… revealing the land of the elves… Loryinthia. 

It was gorgeous to put it in simple terms. The land was in a gentle, deep green forest valley, with a large castle in the middle of it all. Soft, burbling brooks and rivers dotted the countryside, the waters sparkling blue, and so clean that you can clearly see the bottom of the riverbed. It was obvious that this land has seen very little _people_ for it was very well taken care of. The castle was a large structure, no obvious defenses, made of stone and marble. It reached up far into the sky, an imposing… yet stable scene upon this serene land. It was not surrounded by a moat, but rather with a gentle stream, for it was clear that the elves expected no danger in their land. 

Kel gave a relieved smile at the site, a sense of welcome enveloping her. Her side began to ache even more, as if it knew that it was going to be taken care of. She looked at the others and said softly, "Let's go." With that she kicked Arctic Wind into a gallop, she and Raen streaming down the path towards the castle. 

With a slight shake of his head, Joren followed her, urging Demon Wind to catch up. The elf gave a slight frown and galloped after them all, muttering softly to himself. They caught up with Kel and proceeded to the castle gate, Kel and Joren nervous, though they didn't show it, Laynith perfectly at ease, and Raen giving a slight glare at everything around him. 

When they arrived at the gate, two elves were there to meet them. Both were tall, with a regal stance. The female had long silvery-gold hair that blew around her; her eyes were a light hazel color, holding infinite wisdom. The male had golden hair, his eyes an ocean blue. They stood together, their clothes signifying their high rank. 

As Laynith reached the two he suddenly gave a gasp and a bow right in the saddle, not even bothering to dismount, with Kel's and Joren's eyes slightly widening he intoned, "My Lady Queen … My Lord King." 

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A/N:

IceWind: *says in satisfaction* THERE! AND it was long! HUMPH! Oh yeah…***poll*** Do you guys want Joren and Kel to have a soul bond? I was thinking about it… but wouldn't it seem really perfect? But if they don't I'm going to have to change some of my original plot line around… *sighs* 

Raen: *he shrugs*

IceWind: *chuckles* Hmmm… not to much going on… be prepared for LOTS of explanations and stuff in the next chapter… THEN maybe I can get them home *winks* and get the battles started! 

Kaori: *smirks* Bloody minded fool…

IceWind: *glares at her viciously* Well, that's all I really have to say except for REVIEW!

~

*Updated*

Facts:

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead, the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

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Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

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Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

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My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get bubble gum *hands person bubble gum*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	17. The Beginning of the End

Aether Winds

Chapter seventeen- The Beginning of the End

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *blinks in wonderment* Oh wow… that was a lot of reviews… I _knew_ that threatening you guys would work! *giggles softly* 

Raen: *gives a soft snort* Maybe they felt sorry for you… besides… it's not like you were going to carry out that.. err semi-threat anyway.

IceWind: *glares at him* You've been taking mean lessons from Kaori haven't you?!

Raen: *sweatdrop* Whatever….

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Merrit: *gives a soft giggle* While I have been later then usual with my postings… May would be really really late. I usually post a new chapter every 1-2 weeks just for you guys to know! ^.^

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Princess Sanidaylene: *smiles and shakes her head* No, Raen's power isn't wind, you'll find out in this chapter lol. *grins* Let me just say that I'm honored that this is your favorite story. 

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Ti-Ti: *sighs* I am truly, truly sorry if it seemed that I offended you in any way, really I am. *shakes her head* I was serious though when I said that I didn't have enough time… I haven't even updated any of my other stories except for Aether, and Aether's chapter postings seem to get farther and farther between. My schoolwork takes a whole lot of my time, and my mother hates it when I use the computer because she says it would ruin my eyes. *shrugs* So I can only write on the weekends. I'm sorry if I offended you with my review, I was just pointing out somethings… *sighs* I don't mind if people flame me because I have errors in my story, I only get upset if the flames are just plain stupid (like a person doesn't like Joren…) Not all people are like me… *cringes* sorry. And umm… the reading, but not reviewing part is okay… I need reviews for few reasons, 1. Just to see how people like my story, 2. If I could improve on any part of it, 3. If people are actually _reading_ it, and 4. Just for enjoyment. I don't pay fanfiction.net, I don't have a counter telling me how many people read my story, and the only way that I know is if people review… I can't write a story if nobody but me is reading it. *gives a slight bow* I apologize if I offended you in any way, I'd rather have friends then enemies… 

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Jarna Hill: *giggles softly and gives Raen a kiss on his cheek. Runs around after the fleeing Kaori, finally tackling her and giving her a hug* There!

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Catchfire: *evil, evil grin* I am going to do SOMETHING like that… only I'm thinking in bigger, WAY bigger proportions… *evil snicker* You'll find out what I mean soon!

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Kel gave a soft yawn, light filtering through a nearby window, waking her up. Her first thought was, _warm… comfy… damn, I almost forgot what a real bed felt like!_ She gave a content sigh and sat up in the bed, throwing back the covers to eye the room that the elves had so kindly let her use. _Oh wow…_ Kel thought to herself, the room was a mixture of dark blues, silvers, whites, and golds. It seemed to be finely furnished, with rather old, but beautiful, looking wood furniture. 

Suddenly she got out of bed and gave a look around, _Where's Joren… _As soon as that thought floated through her thoughts she blinked, _why am I wondering about Joren? Oh well, where's Raen?_ Her eyes glanced around the room. _How… did I know that the elves invited me to this room? All I remember is…_ a wry grin suddenly lit up her face…_the elf queen told us something… and I fainted._ Her eyes widened slightly, _I DID faint! Why?_ She thought to herself, a slight frown on hers lips as she said out loud, "I can't remember."

__

Remember what Mistress? the door was pushed opened and a nearly completely healed Raen walked in, his gate slow and purposeful. His gaze was curious and questioning, as he looked Kel over, checking to see if she was okay.

Behind him an elf walked in and went immediately to Kel's side. The elf's bright blue eyes took in her condition, his purple gem hanging on a necklace around his neck, "How are you feeling Mi'lady?" 

Kel gave a slight smile towards the elf before answering him and Raen absentmindedly, "I'm fine… and just trying to remember something…" She had a far off look in her eyes as she gave a slight frown, trying to remember what had caused her to faint before. Suddenly a shocked look crossed her face as she suddenly remembered… 

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~Flashback~

They stood in the throne room, the queen and king on their respective thrones. Kel and Joren gave a low bow towards them both while Raen just stood off to the side, a pride-full air about him. Instantly the queen, Arlyanth, got up from her throne and went over to Kel, a slightly admonishing look on her face as she spoke, "What are you doing?"

Kel blinked once, slowly as she took in the queen's strange question. Finally she straightened and looked directly at the elf as she replied, "Bowing to you of course Queen Arlyanth." Quickly, she cast a glance towards Joren and Raen, a confused look suffused over her face. Raen seemed to smirk, while Joren just gave a shrug, his ice-blue eyes cautious and holding slight suspicion.

The queen quickly shook her head, her own hazel brown eyes expressing mirth as she cried out, "No! You have no need to do that Auntie Keladry!" Long silvery-blond hair seemed to dance around her, framing her face and figure. 

Total shock appeared on Kel's face as the weariness from the battle, and the shock of the queen's message made her pitch backwards, darkness clouding her eyes as she fainted. One last thought drifted through her mind before she fell down, _I seem to do this a lot…_

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~End Flashback~

Kel gave a soft gasp as the memory hit her. Slowly she turned towards the elf and Raen, finally asking, "Was it all a dream?" She knew that Raen would understand what she was saying, they were bonded of course. In unconscious thought, Kel smoothed back her mahogany brown hair.

The elf just looked at her curiously, with something akin to adoration in his eyes. He bustled over to Kel and began to check her over, feeling her pulse, and doing a regular health check. 

She seemed to protest it, trying to yank her arm out of his grasp without seeming rude about it. Kel shook her head, protesting, "I feel fine! I just fainted, that's all…" She gave a slight grimace as she thought about it, _knights are not supposed to faint._ She began to push/guide the annoying elf towards the door, saying that she needed to talk to Raen in private. Finally, with the bothersome elf out of the door, she turned towards the quiet hizar, "Well?"

__

No Mistress… it wasn't a dream, the queen did really call you 'Auntie' amusement flared in the hizar's eyes before he added in a mischievous tone, _Before you fainted and the boy caught you_

Kel interrupted him with a slightly high voice, looking as if she had swallowed too much information, "Joren _caught_ me when I fainted?" A light tinge of red appeared on her cheeks, _…I thought he hated me, I'm so confused… What did the queen mean with the 'Auntie' part? I'm to YOUNG to be her aunt! Not to mention I'm not from this world!_ She gave a soft groan, looking down at Raen with a pleading expression in her eyes.

The hizar's mind-voice was amused as it spoke, _Yes Mistress… the boy caught you and brought you into this room until you woke up again_ Raen flattened his ears slightly, before looking up at Kel in a soul full expression, _He's not exactly the best choice in mates Mistress… but he is better then any of those elves_

She shrieked out, "Mates???" As quickly as the outburst came, it faded away, and her familiar emotionless mask came back on to hide her confusion and embarrassment. She shook her head silently, finally saying after she got her voice under control again, "Joren is not my mate, I did not chose him to be my mate, I have no mate Raen!" 

Raen tilted his head, a cocky look in his eyes, _Sure Mistress…_ He spoke in a slightly sarcastic mind-tone, finding this all highly amusing, _we hizars don't have as many problems as humans seem to when choosing our mates…_

Suddenly Kel gave a scowl at him, saying softly, "I could hear that!" She gave a slight pout in the direction of the hizar; " I'm not here to chose mates!"

Surprise flared in the hizar's eyes, _my shields… they were not down… or weak…_ He looked over Kel critically, surprise rapidly being replaced with pride, _Our bond is getting stronger! You heard what I was thinking Mistress_ As he said that, he began to reinforce his shields so that he could not hear her thoughts nor could she hear his. 

She looked mildly surprised for a moment, before a scowl came over her face, "That doesn't excuse what I heard Raen! I'm not here to chose mates!" The annoying red tinge on her face wouldn't go away, she was blushing profusely because of the hizar's tactless statement. To get Raen's mind off of the subject of mates, she abruptly changed the subject, "Where's Joren anyway?" Mentally she groaned, _why oh why did I have to ask about Joren?_ To try to cover it up, she said immediately afterwards, "What did the queen mean when she called me 'Auntie'?"

"Right here… and the queen will explain when we go visit her I suppose," There leaning against the doorway, stood a relaxed and refreshed looking Joren. He had a small smirk playing against his handsome face, watching Raen and Kel with slight amusement, _Kel looks worked up… wonder what that cat said to make her look so red…_ His curiosity was sparked, but he hid it carefully away.

If possible, Kel blushed even harder when she saw him, worry taking over her mind, _how much did he hear?! I'm sooo going to kill Raen later!_ She tried to hide her nervousness by smoothing down her clothes, new ones, provided by the elves. They were rather pretty, in flattering greens that matched well with her hair and eyes. Finally, trying to keep her blush under control, she asked in a tight voice, "How much did you hear?"

Silently Joren raised an inquiring brow, ignoring the highly amused hizar standing before him. _The hell is wrong with her?_ Finally he shrugged; deciding to ignore the strange turn of events as he said levelly, mimicking Kel's words exactly, "Where's Joren anyway? What did the queen mean when she called me 'Auntie'?" Finally he glared at her slightly, asking in an impatient tone, "Why Kel? We have to go meet this elf queen remember? Then she will explain." 

She shook her head quickly, trying to dispel the tell-tall blushes still lingering on her cheeks. _Okay… calm down Mindelan, just Raen… and Joren here, nothing to get worked up about. Why the hell am I blushing so much? At least Joren's calling me Kel still…_ _GAH! Bad, BAD thoughts!_ She grimaced slightly, _I am stone…_ Soon, her regular expression returned, with no appearance of red on her cheeks. She gave a slight smile towards Joren, "Well let's go get some answers then… and maybe get home," Kel stated the last part in a slightly wistful tone.

"Hn," Joren just gave a grunt, turning around and walking towards the throne room. His pace was quick, evidently not waiting for either Kel or Raen, just expecting them to catch up. His pale blond hair fell across his forehead in a slightly messy manner, but giving him a cute look, evidently he was at ease with the elf palace as he was with the castle at Tortall. 

Kel immediately started after him; eager to know what the heck the elf queen was talking about in the first place, _why do I feel as if I will have a headache by the time this is all over?_ She shook her head slowly, muttering at Joren, "Wait! Slow down at least!" 

Raen stood in the middle of the room, amusement apparent in his dark blue eyes, _Humans… so different from hizars… can't see what's in front of them_ He gave a mental sigh and followed after the two in a leisurely pace. 

~

They once again stood in front of the queen, Arlyanth, and the king, Elladon. Kel was fidgeting slightly, her nervousness apparent until she smoothed over her expression, trying her hardest to be like stone. Finally, she bent over, going to bow to both of them when Arlyanth held up her hand.

"Stop." 

Kel stiffened and looked up, straightening, _…not again… at least I won't faint this time,_ "What's wrong Queen Arlyanth?" She nervously brushed back a strand of hair, looking into the hazel brown eyes of the queen that was so like her own. 

The queen gave a graceful smile, eyes holding wisdom and mirth as she said in a soft voice, "Don't you remember what I had said before? Auntie Keladry? You do not have to bow to me…" the young looking elf trailed off, "I should bow to you." With deliberate actions, the queen rose from her throne, giving a slight curtsy towards Kel. 

Joren raised a brow, eyes slightly amused and puzzled by all of this, _what in the Mithros names is going on? …One thing I will agree with the cat, elves are strange. _He stood off to the side, he didn't bother bowing, seeing that everyone else's attention was on Kel, _and_ _since she didn't bow, I don't have to bow either._ He held onto that thought stubbornly. 

Raen watched over everything with a calm eye, the hizar seemed to be unduly arrogant, not showing a least bit humility in front of the royal personage. _I knew that choosing Mistress was the right choice… _Pride appeared in his steady gaze, watching the proceedings by Kel's side. 

Elladon rose as well, his slightly longer then shoulder length blond hair swishing behind him. He gave a deep bow towards Kel, his eyes friendly and gently amused by the confused look on her face, "Hello Keladry." 

She gave a soft moan, saying as respectfully as she could towards them both, "I don't understand!" Kel gave a slight frown in thought as she watched the king and queen straighten and return to their thrones, "I'm not your aunt, I'm way to young to be your aunt! And I'm not from this world, what do you mean when you call me 'Auntie'?" She clenched her hands slightly, nervousness emanating from her eyes, _why do I feel as something important is happening, like I will gain something that I had lost?_

Arlyanth shook her head slowly, eyes apologetic, yet at the same time joyful, "You may be to young to be my aunt, Auntie Keladry," she added the last part in for emphasis, "But nether the less you _are_ who I claim you to be, I could feel the kin bond between us." Her eyes were watchful as she looked down at Kel, gauging her reaction carefully. 

Joren's eyes widened slightly, but as he shot covert glances towards the king and hizar, he found that both were calm, and expressionless. _They… both know… That cat knew from the start and he didn't tell us!_ For a moment anger flashed through his mind towards the hizar, _if Kel was hearing me right now, she'd say to think in Raen's point of view…_ He didn't know why he just thought about it… _What the hell. _He tried to think up reasons why the hizar would do that to them both, refusing to think why he was even thinking this way, _maybe… the cat didn't think that we would believe him._ He reluctantly nodded to himself, _yes, that is probably one of the reason._ Finally he spoke out-loud, his eyes guarded, "How?"

Kel glanced over at Joren; he seemed to be taking the news much calmer then she was. Right now, she thought she was trembling… scratch that, she _knew_ that she was shaking slightly. She gave a nod, wanting to know also. 

For the first time they had seen her, the queen seemed to hesitate, as if she was warring with herself on what to do. She looked over at Elladon, proud, peaceful Elladon, and gave a nod in return for the smile of encouragement he gave her, "Your half elfin Auntie," it seemed as if she couldn't be shaken off from calling Kel 'Auntie'. 

Kel's and Joren's eyes widened at that statement, as Kel protested, "No I'm not! I have a mother and father right in my world, Tortall!" She didn't care anymore that she was fighting with a queen, a queen with extremely strong allies none the less. She protested vehemently, "It's not possible!" 

Raen slowly shook his head, his eyes now focused only on his Mistress, _It's possible Mistress… and it's also the truth, I know it to be such. The elves cannot lie within these walls_ His ears seemed to flatten slightly, wondering what Kel would say once she found out that he knew about it the whole time. 

She whirled in his direction, and said in an accusing tone, "You knew! The whole time and you didn't tell us!" Hurt flared in her eyes, before it disappeared, making her seem expressionless and empty. 

Joren hesitated for a second before he moved over to Kel, saying in a rough voice, "Would you have believed the cat," Raen for the first time didn't object to be calling a cat, "if he had told us in the first place?" His ice-blue eyes held her gaze until she dropped it. She looked so vulnerable right then, her expression shattered.

"If I can't trust Raen who can I trust?" her voice came out as a mere whisper and she jerked her head up, looking defiantly into Joren's eyes, "Who Joren? I'm _bonded _to the hizar! If I can't trust him who can I trust? I just don't know…" In the background of the two, Raen and the two elves seemed to tense, all of their worry apparent on their faces if Kel would just look at them. 

He seemed silent for a moment; time seemed to stretch endlessly between them as he thought with a slight tinge of desperation, _why do I get myself in these messes? I was perfectly… well, maybe not perfectly… happy with being Kel's enemy._

She gave a funny laugh, a strained high laugh, "See what I mean?" hopelessness appeared in her eyes, she was so confused… "I can't trust anyone! I thought I could trust my family at home, but… my own _brother_ hung me from the highest point in our keep, that's why I've been afraid of heights ever since then and-" she was aware that she was babbling, but she couldn't stop, everything, the stress, being in a whole new world, and not just this incident made her break down. 

Suddenly she was abruptly cut off when Joren put his lips on top of hers in a fierce kiss; his ice-blue eyes seemed to glow for a second before it faded. He kissed her firmly, unhesitating, and after a while… a long while… he pulled away. His hands now resting upon her shoulders. 

Her eyes were opened wide… extremely wide, as he pulled away she whispered, "Joren? I-" Confusion… that's pretty much all she felt right now, _I don't understand anything anymore…_

Joren pulled his hands away from her shoulders and said simply, "You wouldn't shut up. Now _listen_ to me Kel." He waited until he got a reluctant nod from her, before continuing, "The cat thought he did what was best, Kel. Nothing more, nothing less. Even though I loathe to say it, the cat is really looking out for you and will protect you until his last breath, didn't he save you from Takeshi, drawing his attention away so that we could escape from the tavern?" _I… am not cut out for this sort of thing, why the hell am I doing this? That priss, Neal or even that clown, Cleon should, not me. Damn it._

She gave a slight nod, muttering mostly to herself, "He did do that… why?" 

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Because Mistress… Raen finally spoke up, his dark blue eyes filled with sorrow, _I love you, you are my pack now, I will never leave you or betray you in anyway. I knew you would not believe me if I told you that you were half elf, I thought the elves could convince you of that_ He looked at her piteously, eyes pleading her to forgive him.

"I thought you hated elves, Raen!" Kel's voice seemed steadier now, strength coming back into it, "And you knew that I was part elf? How could you stand it?" 

Arlyanth almost stood up except Elladon's hand reached out and laid itself gently on her arm, telling her silently with his eyes not to speak or do anything yet. The queen almost seemed to fret for a second, her worry shining clearly in her eyes before she settled back down into her chair, watching silently.

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I… am not fond of elves I admit Mistress, but I do not hate them either. I respect them, and I am sure they do the same for the hizars. We are naturally at war with each other, but you are different from elves. You have more feelings, more expression then they do, but at the same time you are as discrete and proud as any. We are the same, you are my pack now Mistress, it was because of you I didn't die in the first place Raen looked at Kel, his feelings shining through clearly, _I… and the boy… won't ever let you fall_

Kel looked down at Raen, her expression unreadable until she asked softly, "And the boy? Joren? He _hates_ me!" She looked close to breaking down once more until a familiar cool voice cut in.

"Not quite Kel, you may be a pain in the ass and have more morals then any sane person should have, but…" for once Joren looked uneasy, true he didn't hate Kel anymore, but he didn't exactly know what to say… "But, I don't hate you." He didn't say anything else then that, he didn't say that they were friends or even more then acquaintances … but she understood. 

She gave a small smile towards him, only trances of uncertainty left, "Re-really?" she stuttered softly, hands clenched together in front of her. 

Joren gave a shrug, _after this my reputation will be ruined_, and gave a mental grimace before finally nodding once, "Yes. Now stop blubbering and maybe we'll get the answers we need." He switched back to his calm, cool, persona, looking at the two figures on the throne without any expression on his face.

Arlyanth gave a look towards Elladon, her own eyes uncertain now. He gave her a comforting nod as a go ahead. The queen rose from her throne, her consort following her, saying in a soft voice, "I'm sorry… truly I am, I didn't think it would be that big of a shock, I mean… you do have an elf…" she quickly changed the last word with the glare Raen was leveling at her, "err… hizar? Elf or hizar, it doesn't matter, crystal." 

Kel looked confused for a moment before it dawned on her what the elf was talking about, "This?" She raised the necklace from her neck, looking at the pure white sparkling gem that had at first caused her all of this trouble. Realization struck her as she yelped in surprise.

"What? What happened?" For a moment, something like worry flashed through Joren's eyes, he really did not need Kel breaking down on him again. 

She shook her head silently at Joren, muttering softly, "That last gem… the strongest… pure white." Her head swing around until it looked down at Raen, "You knew about this also." Her voice was flat, yet held slight glimmers of forgiveness. Finally she looked at them all, biting her lower lip slightly, "What's the last gem called?" 

"Aether Auntie, it's called aether." Arlyanth gave a weak smile towards the girl, "I think that your mother, my several times great grandmother, could explain better then I could ever, let's go visit her." The elfin queen smiled and began to walk out the room; "We have to go to the psy tower to do so… great grandmother has been dead for many years."

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A/N:

IceWind: *gives a satisfied smirk* Ok, HOW many people were expecting THAT? *falls over giggling, just imagining people's faces* (just to have you to know, the reason why I have so many cliffhangers is to remind me what I should do in the next chapter lol. Why do I feel as if this story has about as many plot lines enough for 3 stories?)

Raen: *he pads up* Not a lot… 

IceWind: *grins* I know Joren and Kel are really ooc in this chapter… but it would be so CUTE! *smiles* See? Romance is progressing nicely if I do say so myself. Hehe, how else did you guy's think I was going to let Kel gain a gem? She had to have SOME elf blood in her unless… *trails off and grins wickedly* You'll find out later. 

Raen: *chuckles softly* But she put in a twist… Kel is the reigning queen elf's many times great AUNT. 

IceWind: Mwahahaahhahahah! ^-^ I feel particularly evil today, and for all of you wondering, the element Kel and Raen has is aether. And no I was not expecting any of you to get it unless you happened to connect it with the title… *winks* I'll show you where I got the winds part later. *frowns, looking at the story* Really, it seems that all the explanations are going to take longer then I expected… I'm not even half done yet! And I'm terribly sorry about the lateness the chapters are getting, school is hectic and evil, that is all I will say. So ja! and remember to REVIEW! 

P.S: (I forgot to put the Kalyrath horses in the facts section, so I'll do it this chapter *sweatdrop* this fact thing is getting long…) 

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*Updated*

Facts:

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

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Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

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Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

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Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

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Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

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My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get bubble gum *hands person bubble gum*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	18. The Fog Begins to Disappear

Aether Winds

Chapter eighteen- The Fog Begins to Disappear

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *grimaces* My parents say that I can't go on the computer on the weekdays until I bring up my grades. *sighs* I got ONE C+ in HONORS biology, and over half of my other grades were A's! *looks highly annoyed*

Raen: *shrugs and starts to speak* That means that Icey's chapters would most probably come out later then usual.

IceWind: *gives a miserable nod* Yeah… *pouts* Oh well, I'll find some way to sneak on *winks* On to the story!

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Jarna Hill: *chuckles and tells Raen that he was superb, Raen poses and seems to smirk* Good enough for you? Now his ego is gunna be even BIGGER! 

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Nightshine: *raises a brow at Ti-Ti and gives a slight shrug, she turns to the other person* Confusing how? In what parts? Do you mean the chapter in general was confusing, or the part that was confusing was how Kel could be an aunt or stuff?

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Shadowcat: *chuckles softly* Your review was great and kept me entertained lol. ^.~ Three times? Even _I_ haven't read this story three times! *Kaori pouts and hides under Icey's bed. Raen wags his tail and speaks* CATS RULE! ^.^

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They stood in front of a large, silver door. The door by itself was mind-boggling; it seemed to be made of a dark silver crystal, with many strange images and words imprinted on it, words that could not be understood to either Kel, Joren, or Raen. It towered over them imposingly, but… Kel felt tranquillity and peace wash over her just by standing in front of the door, and they weren't even in the room yet! She hesitated, for one of the few times in her life deathly afraid of something as mundane as opening a door. 

The elf queen, Arylanth, looked to the side of her, at her aunt, with a slightly pitying expression on her face, _she didn't ask for this… but it is who she is, her heritage, and not even she can change that._ Her warm hazel brown eyes, so much like Kel's, looked at the girl beside her worriedly, wondering if she would even open the door, or bolt, like she looked like she was going to do any second now. 

Joren cast a glance towards Kel, his ice blue eyes unreadable. She looked nervous and hesitant to open the door; _I don't completely blame her… Something's happening that's changing the way she thinks and looks at things._ He stored that thought away to examine it better later, his forehead slightly creased with his thoughts. Finally he asked Kel, tired of just standing in front of the doors, "Are you going to open it or not?"

She gave him a slightly startled look, having been shaken out of her own thoughts. Kel bit her bottom lip and gave Joren a curt nod, finally murmuring, "I will." Bolstering up her courage without even knowing why she was so nervous, she placed her hands against the smooth, cold door and pushed it open.

The two great doors swung inward silently, revealing a mist filled room. As the group made their way in, Kel noticed that she couldn't see two feet in front of her, nether the less the walls or even the floor. The mist was cool and slightly wet, its presence felt slightly eerie and strange. With no help at all, the doors swung silently shut as the entire group moved into the room. The elves and Raen were calm and confident, Joren looked emotionless, though his hand crept towards his dagger, and Kel kept glancing around, eyes slightly wide.

Kel suddenly stifled a scream as the mist disappeared and the room was suddenly visible. It was emptiness, not pure blackness, but as if you were in space. There seemed to be no floor or walls, as if they were floating on thin air. Light seemingly speckled from far away, silver streaks occasionally shooting through the black space, occasionally one of the streaks hit a person, or hizar, but it did not hurt them, it passed through harmlessly. She looked around frantically, spotting with relief the rest of the group. She went to Joren's side without a second of thought, positioning herself between him and Raen as her hazel brown eyes looked around cautiously. 

The silver streaks suddenly changed their direction and sped towards the group, spinning around in tight, fast, circles in front of them. As more of the streaks joined in the spinning, the ball of light begin created began to get larger and larger in size. With a soft explosion, a woman suddenly stood in front of them all. What was the most surprising about the person was that she was transparent and seemed to flicker now and then, slowly getting clearer as time went on. She had long, beautiful brown hair, was tall and willowy, and was clearly not an elf; yet strangely enough; she had on around her neck a purple gem. Bright hazel brown eyes looked down at Kel with a kind and wistful expression when at last she spoke, "My daughter… Your younger brother took the throne when you were meant to have it, but I see now that you are destined for things greater then being a ruler."

Joren stared at the ghost in front of him, his hand clenched over his dagger's hilt. Ice blue eyes narrowed at the woman, wondering for a moment if you can kill someone already dead. _What the hell is going on?! Fuck this! I didn't even believe in damned ghosts!_ He looked over to Kel who was white and shaking and suddenly looked back at the ghost woman, _they look almost exactly alike…_ Shock coursed through his mind as one last thought floated up, _throne? Younger brother?_

Raen looked at the woman solemnly and lowered his body, front end going down in a sort of bow. With his head bowed down his mind-voice resonated into everyone's minds, _Late elf queen Sephia, it is a honor to meet one such as yourself who managed to stave off the Great Evil for such a long time_ For once, it seemed, he was being humble and not arrogant. 

Elladon gave an exquisite bow before the former queen, not saying a word, while Arlyanth gazed upon her grandmother with a joyous expression on her face. It was clear that she got her hazel brown eyes from her fathers side of the family for elves eyes were usually green and blue, not brown. 

Kel looked at the long dead queen with wide-eyes, finally asking in a soft voice, "How are you my mother? I have a mother in Tortall! In my _own_ world!" She seemed to be in the denial stage, even though the resemblance between Sephia and herself was apparent.

"I am so sorry," the dead queen Sephia looked at Kel with a sorry expression on her face, vaguely acknowledging the others in the room with a nod, "But you are my daughter. Your parents in Tortall… you were placed with them because I could not get you back… not while I was alive anyway." She gave Kel a sad smile as she continued, "You didn't leave on purpose, when you found your gem…" she trailed off.

Curtly, Joren cut in, his manner still highly suspicious, "When she found her gem? She just woke up one morning and it was there!" His looked slightly ticked off when the ghost was only focusing on Kel and not even giving them any straight answers. Kel looked entirely to shaken to even ask the right questions it seemed. 

The ghost queen swung her head to look at Joren, eyes cold until something akin to recognition appeared. She then gave a slight smile at him; "The gem was spent, for she used it when she was younger when she just got it. Contrary to many people's beliefs, elves do not get their gems when they are born; they get their gems a few years later and that's when the bonding between the elf and gem occurs. My daughter just received her gem when she used a highly complex spell on it, being so, the bond strained slightly and the gem went into hiding for a few years until it regained its former power. If she was at the strength she is now with the gem, she wouldn't have lost it when she was younger." The queen seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing, "And when she arrived in your world, the gem wiped out most of her memories because it knew that she wouldn't be able to get back to Medea, and so not to make it's bearer unhappy, it reformed her memories to fit your world."

Joren cut in once more, before Kel could even open her mouth to talk, his voice curt, "Then why haven't her parents in Tortall tell her that she was found? And why do they look so much like her if they are not her biological parents?" Kel gave a slight nod to show that she wanted to know the answer also.

Sephia sighed, eyes troubled, "If the elves pooled a lot of their power… we could have gotten her back. But, we were fighting the Great Evil directly at that time and had no energy to spare. I had to choose between the lives of my people and getting back my daughter… I had no choice but choose the former." She then proceeded to answer Joren's questions, "And as much as I wished for my daughter back, I knew it was safer in your world for her. So my husband and I did what any responsible elf would do, even if it did drain us; we made sure she was sent to people that looked like her, they were chosen to be her parents and we… rearranged their memories and every else around them, to make them all think that they really _did_ have a daughter named Kel." She paused before continuing, "That drained us for some time, it's difficult to rearrange other's memories, but at the scale we did it at, and the fact that you were in another world…" Sephia trailed off and didn't continue.

Suddenly Kel spoke in a softly accusing tone, "You could have at least told me about who I was and where I came from, you have enough power for _that_ little trick if you could change what everyone is thinking." She tried to make sense of her situation, striving to become cool and detached from it all.

Sephia seemed to wince before her expression smoothed over, looking down at her daughter imploringly, "I am not all knowing. I thought that you could go through life without ever knowing about Medea or me. I do not know the future, I only know the glimpses the psy elves tell me about, and the future is always subject to change. It is not like the past, which is a set road, but rather a series of roads branching, too many to know everything of what will happen and what won't." Her head bowed slightly in thought, every now and then a sliver of silver light hit her and she absorbed it.

Arlyanth watched the proceedings silently, knowing how hard it was for them all to accept what they see before their eyes. Next to her, Elladon caught her hand and gave it a light squeeze in comfort, _he's not always demonstrative, but he loves me just the same,_ she smiled at him lovingly. 

Joren looked at the dead elf queen without an ounce of pity in his eyes, she looked relatively calm and only slightly repentant. Finally he glanced to his side, at Kel, and his ice blue eyes almost seemed to soften for a bit before becoming hard once more, she was staring down at the speckled inky darkness, where the floor should have been, avidly; and not looking at anything else. Determined to bring her out of her stupor, he nudged her with his elbow and gave a scowl as she looked up at him with surprise. 

Raen almost seemed to, but not quite, smirk at the scene, the hizar having been quiet for some time. Now he spoke, eager to ask questions pertaining to what they have to know, and what they want to know. _Tell them how you ended up to be an elf queen, how my mistress was sent away to another world, what the great evil is, and what aetheric magic means; Queen Sephia_ He focused his entire question on Sephia, ears pricked in her direction.

Sephia flickered even more as the ghost laughed at all the things the hizar asked. She then sobered slightly and spoke in a great regal tone, answering Raen's questions, "How I became queen of the elves when I am a human?" She smiled slightly, her eyes growing distant as she remembered, "I was just a peasant, a young woman around 18 years of age," she gave a nod towards Kel, "same age as my daughter." A wistful smile appeared, "That's around the age that many soul bonds occur."

"Soul bond?" Kel finally looked at Sephia, her interest in the tale reluctantly growing with each word that came out of the queen's mouth.

The ghost queen gave a nod and continued, "Soul bonds are relatively rare, but a few occur each generation. I was out in the forest, picking plants for my dinner, my entire family had died when I was you; and of course, a person needs to eat. I had slipped on a wet rock near the river and fell in," her lips twitched slightly, "I was saved by being dragged out of the river by an elf… your father." She cast a glance at Kel, a loving smile on her face, "The rest is history." She gently raised her hand to her throat and softly fingered a pale and wispy purple gem necklace, "Imagine my surprise when your father turned out to be the crown prince of the Elfin Kingdom Lorynthia." 

Raen and the elves looked at Sephia as if they were expecting more, and when it didn't come; confusion appeared in their eyes. Slowly understanding appeared as they thought to themselves about what the missing information was. Sephia looked at them and they silently acknowledged what was not said with nods. Kel and Joren were unaware of the silent exchange and they continued to look at Sephia, clearly expecting more. 

Sephia looked at Kel with a touch of a smile on her face, "So you wish to know how you came into Tortall specifically?" The ghost mused silently to herself, murmuring softly, "I thought I gave you that memory back in a dream." 

"Dream…" Kel gasp as the memory hit her… _the gem floating up into the air, I was running… running so fast to get away. Fear… I was so scared that they would catch up. But who are they? I saw the altar and the gem and took it, holding it in my hands and I wished… I wished that I was far away where I couldn't get hurt. And I blanked out as soon as I saw my parent's faces instead of that evil that I was expecting._ She shuddered, her hazel brown eyes wide, "I remember… when I woke up I had forgotten everything again except for the gem, but now I remember… and every other dream that had something to do with Medea, evil, or this gem." She held up her necklace and looked at the innocently sparkling gem, her eyes saddened as she looked back at Sephia, "I thought there was something evil after me, and I had to get away, but then it was only you… but I couldn't stop it."

Joren watched, wondering what he should do now, _should I do anything? Damn, not cut out for this sympathy stuff… might as well tell Kel to stuff it and forget about it_, he gave a mental shrug and told Kel exactly that, "Forget about it, it was in the past, you have plenty of time to wail over it later, after we get back to Tortall."

She glared at him, all other occupants in the psy tower forgotten, "How can I feel better when you say idiotic, heartless things like that?!" Her glare became more pronounced at the smirk he had on his face.

"Because I'm not here to make you feel better Kel," he rolled his eyes, "You should know that after all of this time." _At least she isn't drowning in sympathy anymore… not that I care._

Sephia cut in on their conversation, decidedly amused, "That's enough." Suddenly she became very grave and seemed to flicker even more in her agitation, "Now I must tell you about the Great Evil, listen and listen well young ones, for this is very important." She frowned, anger now displayed clearly in her eyes, "It is… like Chaos on your world, only much, much more potent and dangerous. It has no name except for the ones given to it; the elves call it the Great Evil. It feeds on negative energy and hate, and grows stronger and stronger over time. It has no definite form, it can change its form to suit its will, and it only wants one thing in any world; to kill and to gain even more power. It subverts others to its side, making them more powerful then thought possible, but even his minions do not contain even a percentage of his power." She paused and gave a light shudder, "For a millennia he has been fought and the first elf with the silver gem managed to lock him away for an indefinite time… but only by giving up his own life. Now the Great Evil has managed to break away from the elf's spell and is wreaking havoc once more. I do not know if it can be killed, for it is rumored that the Great Evil comes from the same eternal blaze that the gods and Medea was formed in, all that can be hoped for at the most is that it is locked away once more…" 

Sephia winced suddenly, and her form flickered even more violently as she cried out, "No! I am not done here! Not yet!" She seemed to struggle against invisible binding, calling out rapidly at Kel, "The Great Evil is now in your world and seems to have grown even stronger, I do not know what it wants, but I do believe that you have to go and fight it… As much as I hate to send you out against it, that is the only thing that would work, nothing is even near powerful enough to have as much chance as you, my daughter. We…" she flickered out, before reappearing, her form getting lighter, the silver light now leaving her body, "We sent someone to your world to try to get information. Arlyanth will tell you the rest Kel and answer the remaining of Raen's questions!" She called out desperately, her last words faint, "I love you my daughter, I wish things had been different…" And the ghost queen vanished from sight. 

The group stood there slightly stunned, all of them with confused looks on their faces. They didn't know what had happened to the ghost queen, but it was apparent that she couldn't come back to talk anymore. This being so, Arylanth looked at Kel, saying in a quiet voice, "We should go now." At Kel's nod, the elf queen waved a hand and the double door appeared once more, but the darkness and the sparkles didn't go away, it looked as if it was floating in mid air. They all went out of the room, Joren being the last to leave.

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Cold one…

Just before Joren left, an extremely familiar voice entered his thoughts and he glanced around for the Sephia. Finally shock entered his mind, _no wonder that queen's voice sounded so familiar before, I heard it while Kel and I were traveling, she called me the same thing._ He glared in the darkness, his voice echoing, "Show yourself."

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I can't, I can only communicate with you now through telepathy, and even then it would not last for more then a few minutes. Heed my request cold one, will you listen?

He frowned, his thoughts whirling with this sudden revelation, _why is she speaking to me? Isn't Kel her daughter?_ His eyes glinted with indiscernible emotion and he spoke coldly, "Speak, but I will not say if I will follow your request or not." Suddenly he wondered if a dead ghost could do anything to him if she got angry. He felt a shifting in the air, as if the queen had smiled,

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Please take care of my daughter, you are one of the only ones capable of doing so. Whether she shows it or not, she is not perfect, and cannot be expected of being perfect. 

Joren gave a soft snort in derision, muttering to himself, "Already one step ahead of you." He suddenly stopped speaking, his eyes stormy and cold.

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Good… and please take this, this shall help you in the coming battles, Raen and the elves will help train you. You are the first to receive such a gift, the elfin children will start receiving powers such as this one, but you are the first. Hold out your hand.

He hesitated for a second before complying with Sephia's wishes, holding out his right hand, not fully aware of what she was talking about. Light suddenly started to swirl around his hand, but he just stood his ground and glared at it, for some reason not feeling the least bit afraid. The light suddenly seemed to implode and form a small circle; it started to materialize, forming into something solid. He brought it closer to his eye and simply gaped at the object.

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Like it? The first of it's kind, and soon other elves would start gaining gems like the one you hold in your hand.

It was one of the elfin gems… only different. It was an ice blue color for most of the time, but if you peered into it closer, you could see flickers of purple and red swirling around inside. It was in a teardrop shape and it shimmered once, forming a silver chain around his neck where it hovered in front of him, attached to it. Joren gave a sharp gasp and spoke sharply, "What? I thought only elves… or those with elfin blood, could have one of these." Soft laughter seemed to fill his mind, 

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I am not of elfin blood, yet I have one, or have you forgotten? You shall know how it is possible when the time comes, and I for one am not going to tell you. You contain the powers of ice, psy, and fire; rather powerful really. It was genius for the gods to come up with something like this to battle the Great Evil. Now cold one… I must go and my daughter is waiting for you to come out.

And with that, the presence in his mind lifted and vanished. The gem stopped hovering and dropped down onto his chest, lightly swinging on the silver chain, gleaming softly. Joren gave a soft sigh, knowing he wouldn't be spotted, and placed the necklace under his tunic where none would see it, he would tell the others about it when he got out. That done, he turned around and strode through the double doors, back into the castle and away from the psy tower. 

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A/N:

IceWind: *stretches* That was kinda boring, and now everything is about set for them to go back to Tortall, just more information to cram into your heads, a little surprise for you all, and they get to go back! 

Raen: *makes a face* This story is waayyy to perfect. 

IceWind: *nods in agreement* But NOT ANYMORE! *snickers evilly* I have BIG BIG plans for everything and let me just say, things do not bode well for Kel and company. *smirks* Another thing, have you noticed how many bond sort of things are in this story? O.o;; A lot! I'm going to have to kill one of those off or something *sweatdrop* Maybe, maybe not, depends on my mood. 

Raen: *gives her a weird look and suddenly yells* YOU CAN'T KILL ME OFF!

IceWind: *gapes and clamps a hand over his muzzle, smiling sweetly at the readers* I never said I was going to kill you off… of course it's a _possibility…_

Raen: *muffles yells of no*

Kaori: *smirks from her spot under Icey's bed*

IceWind: *giggles and waves* Bye!

~

Facts:

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

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Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

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Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

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Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

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Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get bubble gum *hands person bubble gum*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	19. Simply Magic

Aether Winds

Chapter nineteen- Simply Magic

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *hums* This story is getting rather long lol. I have about 5-10 chapters left… and that's an estimate, so I might go above… I know I won't go below 5 though. ^.^;;

Raen: *pads up and whines* You gotta hurry!

IceWind: *rolls her eyes and mumbles something about impatient people* I'm trying! Anyway… let's just say that this chapter is rather interesting… *smirks* 

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Xelena: *sweatdrop* I love writing them but I hate reading them… *shrugs* It helps me to remember what I have to do next chapter, so the answer is… probably not. 

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Dream Wind: *blinkies* Yeah lol, though it's not really like SM… ^.^;; For one thing, Kel and Joren wear sensible outfits when they go out and fight, not miniskirts and high heels *suddenly falls over laughing of the idea of Joren in one of the SM outfits* Oh don't get me wrong, I like SM… lol.

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Serenity: They won't stay very long, I really have to get this story moving along… And yes, Raen is coming with them; he won't go anywhere without Kel remember?

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Rhysati: *grins* It's okay, you're here now aren't you? And Kel's lineage… she's half elf, half-human and comes from the world of Medea to Tortall because of an incident a long time ago. She's younger then the current elf queen because… *trails off* You'll find out in this chapter lol. 

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Marek: *gives a silent groan* (2) I know, I know… *sighs* I'll try, don't worry… if you want I'll go place some bad guy in front of her for her to kill and save Joren with okay? Lol (3) She's not bonded to the elves lol… they're her family! I know I kinda over did it *understatement* And the horses could have been left out… but think of it as a stage I went through! Hehe, I promise no more… well except one 'cause it's already moving into place. If you want I'll kill off some bonds for you *cheeky grin* (4) Err… sorry about that, I happen to like writing cliffhangers and my reason for them is with the message I gave to Serenity lol. (5) *pouts* Goof up… I'll get him shot with an arrow or something! ^.^;;

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Joren walked out the door casually, debating to himself whether or not he should tell the others about that gem he just received. They others were standing before him, all the others indifferent except for Kel who looked at him inquisitively. He just raised a brow in return, asking in a cool voice, "What Mindelan?" 

She looked at him with confusion, _isn't he going to say why he was in there for such a long time?_ Her hazel brown eyes looked him over carefully, searching for anything that might be off or different about him, _he looks the same…_

He rolled his eyes, saying with a smirk playing on his face, "Like what you see?" He looked amused, watching her blush a slight red. As she opened her mouth to retort, he cut her off swiftly, brushing back a piece of hair, "I'm fine, nothing happened… well except for the fact I got one of those gem things all the other elves have." With that, he casually raised his chain, showing the ice blue gem with different colored lights swirling in side, acting as if it wasn't a big deal.

Arylanth and Elladon looked stunned at the sight of the gem, while Raen seemed to smirk, as if he had known it all along. He pricked up his ears, his mind-voice distinctly arrogant, _I knew the boy would receive one, it was very obvious to me_ At the confused looks pinned on him, he seemed to become even more arrogant in his stance, _I'm not telling you more then that_ He seemingly pranced to Kel's side, nudging her hand with his nose, _Mistress… let us go to the meeting room. Arylanth shall explain the rest of everything there_ He ignored the glare the elf queen pinned on his form. 

Kel gave a slight nod, shooting a puzzled look towards Joren and his gem, _I feel… warm slightly, I think it's Joren's energy… how strange._ She shook her head to clear her thoughts, giving a slightly strained smile towards them all, "I think Raen's right… we have to talk." She gave a questioning look towards Arylanth, eyes slightly uncertain. 

The elf queen seemed to shake out of her stupor, giving a slight smile at her aunt, "Of course Auntie, the meeting room is this way…" She grab Elladon's arm and tugged him after her, acting like a small child for once. Her thoughts were much more serious though; _He got one… so that mean's that it's definite then._ She gave a secret smile towards Joren and Kel, a thoughtful look in her gaze, _He better be nice…_

~

They seated themselves comfortably in the room. It was a large room, with an round oak table in the center, chairs surrounding it. Stately furnishings adorned the room, giving it a dignified air. The chairs were also made of oak, designed with scenes from nature carved on their sides. The room was in pale green and ivory; everything blended together smoothly, giving it a nice look. 

"So…" Kel trailed off, looking around the table. At her side sat Joren and on her other side Raen was sitting, looking comical in the chair. She gave a sheepish smile at them all, fixing her gaze on Arylanth, _calm down Mindelan… I am like stone…_ Finally she spoke, her voice steady and deadly serious, "Can you explain everything else now?"

Joren fixed on the elves a mild glare, _they have been dodging everything long enough, it's time for them to start talking._ He said in a brisk and uncompromising tone, "Why is Kel your aunt? Do you know how much older you are then her?" he was vaguely aware that he was slightly insulting, "What is aetheric magic exactly and how the hell do we get home?!" As was expected, he sounded pissed off, his glare getting more pointed by the minute. 

Raen also looked at the elves, his gaze serious, _It is time for the rest of the answers Queen Arylanth, King Elladon… it is better for them to find out now_ His ears were pricked up towards the nervous duo, _My Mistress is getting rather worried about getting back to 'Tortall' _

The elf queen gave a soft chuckle, her eyes apologetic, "Maybe… yes, I'll explain how you could be my aunt, Auntie" She gave a slight smile, musing over the question, thinking how to explain it so that they could all understand it clearly. "Time is not definite, between worlds or dimensions it flows differently." A wry smile appeared, "The time in our world flows much faster then it does in your world Auntie, even with elves long lives, which are due to the gems just to let you know, your world time flows much slower then ours. I estimate that in total, so far you only missed several minutes…"

Kel gaped at the elf queen, for once dumb struck by the information, "Only several minutes?! That's impossible…" She glanced down at her white gem in thought, trying to calm herself down and present herself professionally, "And that means I'm going to live a very long life then too? With Joren and Raen?" She wouldn't forget Raen… or Joren. They too had the gems, though Raen was a hizar. 

Elladon gave a nod, now speaking instead of his queen; his voice was smooth and sure, "Yes… Raen is a hizar, they are notoriously long lived, and since Joren has a gem now, he to will live a long time. Unless you die an unnatural death, be it by wounds and such." 

Joren seemed slightly stunned by the news, though he strived to put on his regular emotionless face, "Are you telling me that we will live longer then the rest of our family and… friends?" He gave a slight frown, ice blue eyes in deep thought. _That's not really comforting… rather disquieting really. Not that I have many friends..._ He glanced towards Kel, feeling tension rise from her, _Kel…_

"I think that's what they're telling us," Kel's voice was low and slightly troubled, "I think… that we should think more about that later Joren," for whatever reason, she thought to include Joren in the sentence, "How about the rest of our questions now?" She tried to block out the thought of living longer then anyone else out of her mind, refusing to dwell on it until necessary. 

Arylanth gave a nod, after some concerned looks from her to the two humans… well one human and one half elf, half human, "Do you wish to know about aetheric magic now Auntie?" Her voice was questioning, watching her aunt protectively. Time was running short, everything was starting to fall into place, she just hoped that everyone would come out alive. 

With a slight nod Kel sighed softly, eyes troubled, "Yes… I think I should know. When I wished us here, why couldn't I wish us back? I tried every night so far… nothing has worked," she was dimly aware of the surprised look Joren had on his face at her last sentence before it went away quickly. _I wonder if I was the only one who saw that._

"You couldn't wish yourself back because aetheric magic is not an endless source of power that just flows through you," Arylanth paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, "It is like the wind, not the tide and flow. Sometimes the magic is low and sometimes its high, but at random intervals. We cannot predict when it will be low or high or just medium for long periods of time. Only in the near future." She gave a slight smile at all the confused looks Kel and Joren were giving her, "Think of aetheric magic as the wind, it dies down and then flares right back up, but it never completely disappears does it?" She gave an approving nod at Kel's look of understanding, "Of course that part only holds true for the aetheric magic. You also have all the other kinds in you Auntie and they do not change." There was confusion again, Arylanth had to hold back a laugh, "Your gem is white because you have predominately aetheric magic, but aetheric magic is also made up of all the other magic, of course with a big add on in abilities and power. Understand?" 

She gave a nod, thoughts whirling around in her head at lightening speeds, "So when can we go home?" She had a hint of longing in there; _I really miss everyone… Not to mention Joren and I would have to report to the king about all that we have done and seen so far._ "And what does Joren's gem mean?" 

Joren looked over at her, tilting his head slightly to the side, little wisps of hair falling across his forehead, "It's supposed to be a ice, fire, psy sort of deal. That's what the dead queen told me anyway." He smirked at the fact that he was acting rude again, _not that I care._ Casually, he leaned back against the chair, watching the entire table digest the news.

With a startled look, Arylanth tried to think that statement over, _ice, fire and psy!? What are the gods planning for us now?_ "I… He can control those three powers, I do not know how strong he'll be in it though… we're going to have to train you both to use the fullest extent of your powers." Suddenly it seemed as if she remembered the first part of her aunts question, "Oh, and in a couple of days, that's when your power would be at it's fullest once again."

He gave her a glare, _training… _and felt himself give a slight sneer, "Training? We do not have enough time to train! Fuck this, I know it would take longer then a couple of days to finish training us, it would probably take years!" Ice blue eyes looked angrily around the table, his voice low and cold, "We are going back to Tortall in two days." 

Kel rolled her eyes, her voice laced with amusement, "Really Joren, I think that they know that…" she trailed off and gave the rest of them a hard glare, very similar to what Joren was wearing, "Right?"

__

Why do I feel like I'm about to cringe? Arylanth gave a nervous smile at the duo, nodding her head, "No you are going back in two days! Really Auntie! The training shouldn't last more then a couple of hours… it's what all elves have to go through when they reach the age of 75… but you'll just have to do it now I suppose." She gave them both a winning smile, trying to lessen the tension. 

Raen suppressed a chuckle, dark eyes amused as he watched over the scene. He knew that the elves had some way of teaching their kind on how to use magic quickly, but he never figured out what it was and how quickly. _Interesting…_

Joren continued to give the elves a stony glare while Kel spoke for them both, "It's not going to hurt is it?" Her voice held slight caution, "How can anything teach us that fast?" _This magic the elves have… well Joren and me to, has me tying myself into knots. It's confusing and there always seems to be more to confuse myself with._

Arylanth gave a nod, speaking rapidly in reassuring tones, "No, no it won't hurt at all! You will just get the memories of past elves who will teach you everything they know about the gems in a compressed time frame." She paused, "Auntie will have the memory of the only elf to have a silver gem before her and Joren shall just have to have three separate memories for his training." 

With a smile, Kel nodded her head, "So… are we going to get those memories soon?" She gave a smile, "We could do it tomorrow we have plenty of time then." She was much calmer now, more secure in the fact that they'll actually be able to get home now. 

"No…" at the confused looks Kel, Joren, and Raen shot her, Arylanth gave a triumphant smile, "You'll have to do it today Auntie! We're holding a ball for you tomorrow!" At Kel's slightly horrified look, she seemed to falter for a bit, "Really Auntie, I had to! All the elves knew about your coming and they all wanted to meet you. It's hard to get elves excited, but once they do then POW!" 

Wide eyes tracked the elf queen's words and movements with her hands. At the last part, her fist slammed into her other hand as she said 'pow', making their eyes even wider. Disbelieving looks ringed the table, making the queen color and grin at them all feebly. 

Finally Joren broke the short silence that followed the queen's statement, his voice low and drawling, "So your telling me that Kel has to show up at some elf ball of yours?" He looked vaguely amused, toying for a brief time an idea of what she looked like in a dress. _What the hell am I thinking?_ He subtly shook his head to clear it of any weird thoughts. 

Arylanth gave a slight nod, a nervous smile on her face, "Not only Auntie actually Joren… but you as well." 

"What?!" He leveled a glare in her direction, before asking in a cool, tightly controlled voice, "Why?" 

Kel swallowed back a chuckle, hazel brown eyes warmly amused by the entire conversation. She watched Joren glare at Arylanth, _wonder if I should call her my niece… nah, it would be much to weird._ She propped herself up with an elbow, leaning against it as she watched the exchange, _I would be mad about the ball thing, but I can't do anything about it can I?_ She heaved a mental sigh.

"Well… they would like to see the one that has been traveling with my Aunt… and they would doubly want to meet you since you got one of those," Arylanth pointed across the table to where his gem was hanging, "They would be fascinated by it." 

He gave a scowl and shot a quick glance at Kel, _damn… she seems to enjoy this,_ he looked back at the queen and said in a cold tone, "Only if Kel wears a dress." He smirked at that statement, it wasn't bloody likely she would and that meant that he wouldn't have to go. Oh, contrary to what many people might think about him, he disliked going to those idiotic social events where nothing but flirting gets done.

"Done!" she quickly said, a grin on her face. Arylanth gave a proud smile, ignoring the stunned look Kel gave her. _Now… the hard part done…_ She turned and looked at Kel, giving her best pleading look towards her, "Please Auntie? Wear a dress, just this once?" Silently she noticed that Kel was on the verge of saying no and pressed on, "Please? It would mean so much to the elves that you look your best…" 

Kel's eyes widened, looking like a deer caught in headlights, _should I? I really don't… but… oh fuck-_ she gave a defeated sigh and nodded, "Okay…." She groaned softly at the delighted look on Arylanth's face. 

Joren gave her a slightly stunned look, actually leaving it on for a couple of seconds before striving to put on a blank mask of indifference, _What the hell? Damn Kel and her sense of duty. _His stream of thought continued on with plenty of profanity. 

Arylanth gave a smug smile and stood up from the table, pushing back her chair, "Well, since the ball's tomorrow, let's go to the memory chamber today!" She smiled and began to walk out, calling over her shoulder, "Don't worry, it's much different from the psy tower!" 

The rest of them held back a sigh as they followed the elf queen out of the room, towards where ever she was currently leading them.

~

They arrived at a different kind of door this time, much more plain then the one that held the psy tower. It was of a plain brown wood, but it seemed to be intricately carved with many figures and images, they seemed to move and come alive. A stag bounded across a short span of wood, while some dogs bayed at its heels. A running waterfall was seen with little salmon jumping up through it. It was simple yet elaborate at the same time, exquisite. 

Kel looked at the door with delight, a smile appearing on her lips, "That's wonderful…" she trailed off, watching with amusement as she saw a rabbit jump over a rock and run head first into a moving tree. The little thing looked dazed for a moment before getting back onto its feet and bounding away in high leaps. 

Arylanth gave a soft chuckle, murmuring softly, "I used to love watching this door when I was younger. All of it constantly changing, moving, never becoming dull. Grand master elf carver Grandell, hundreds of years ago, spent decades carving it, infusing power into it." She raised a hand and lightly stroked a young walking dog. The dog actually raised its head to be scratched under its chin, "But… we should start, who shall go first? Auntie or Joren?" 

Hesitating, Kel gave a glance over to Joren, seeing his mounting caution with a sigh. Her hands twisted a part of her tunic, betraying her nervousness, as she asked, "We have to go in one at a time? Why?"

Elladon gave a slight smile, answering Kel for his queen, "It's the nature of the room. You shall see out of the memory giver eyes, and examine their minds. There can only be one person receiving each training or else it won't work. Your sense of time is distorted and you assimilate information in a very rapid pace. Arylanth and I have been through it remember…"

Kel sighed, _I really don't want to go in there first… but it's only Joren and me._ Her eyes expressed her uneasiness as she spoke, "I'll-" She was quickly cut off by Joren.

"I'll go first," he gave a slight smirk, ignoring his inner confusion, _Why did I do that? Say that for Kel? She looked so uneasy…_ He strode over towards the door and quickly opened it, walking inside before he could betray his own nervousness. 

She stared at the closing door in slight shock; eyes widened slightly, _Joren…_ Unbeknownst to her, a small smile curved on her lips as she waited, ignoring any fear for him. 

~

Joren looked around the room, eyes expressing some slight confusion. It was a room full of a mirror like substance, it did not seem as if it were separate mirrors placed in a room, all around; instead it looked as if the entire room was just one gigantic mirror. He walked carefully towards the other end, as if afraid to break the substance under his feet that were the same as the walls, reaching out and lightly touching the glass, seeing his reflection perfectly in it. 

Light suddenly swirled behind him, and seeing it in the reflection, he whirled around, hand pulling out his ebony dagger with surprising swiftness. He stared, nonplused, as the light formed into three separate beings, three separate elves. Two of them were men, the other a woman, and each held around their necks gems of the colors ice blue, red, and purple. He watched them through narrowed eyes, his grip tightening as they began to speak in unison.

"We shall not hurt you for that is not why you are here. You are here to receive training from us, in your unique powers and abilities. Remember young one, what we shall show you may not be the full extent of your abilities, that you must find out for yourself." With those words, the elf with the red gem stepped forward and the other two backed away slightly. 

He stretched out his hand, eyes a stormy red as he intoned, "Take my hand young one, the connection works better if you do it our way." He gave no reason or explanation why, not trying to cajole Joren into taking his hand, just demanding in an imperious way. 

Joren gave a slight glare, one part of him wanting to bolt towards the door… he gave a glance around, _fuck! It disappeared!_ He grimaced, knowing that there was only one choice that he could make. Coolly, he slid back his dagger into an arm sheath; reaching out and clasping the red elf's hand firmly, eyes locked with him to show that he was not in the least bit afraid. 

The red elf gave a slight smile that could be interpreted as either amusement or approval as red colored light swirled around them both, embracing them in its power. The mirrors in the room started to change, reflecting the man's memories and skills, planting them into Joren's head at an incredible speed. 

Suddenly it was all over, the mirrors suddenly back to their smooth silver color, the red elf withdrawing his hand. Joren looked around wildly and staggered slightly, clutching his head as the information sorted itself and was stored away. The pain suddenly disappeared as everything fell into place and he breathed a quiet sign of relief, looking back up at the three elves. His eyes expressed some trouble in them as he strove to remain calm. 

The purple elf gave a soft affectionate smile at Joren, her purple eyes seeing as if into the deepest crevice of his soul. She stepped forward now as the other two stepped back and silently held out her hand, eyes imploring him to take it.

He looked at her hesitantly and reached out, silently dreading this encounter. The skill assimilation wasn't the easiest process to go through, it made you feel as if you were overwhelmed, as if you couldn't do anything to stop and you wanted it to stop… oh you wanted it to stop. It felt as if you were trying to shove a bag of grain, all at the same time, through a small hole hundreds of times smaller then the amount of grain. It was not a pleasant experience. 

As soon as they clasp hands, the room once again changed and became more then it seemed to be. If the red elf's power felt hot and dangerous to touch, the purple elf's power was sly and tricky, concealing many things under its rather pretty demeanor. It felt even worse this time; his mind already raw from his previous training was once again battered with more information. He just gritted his teeth and stolidly tried to ignore the pain until it was all over. 

He gave another soft sigh as it was over, his hands once again clutching his head. This time though, the pain lasted longer and was more intense, little black dots dancing in his eyes. He gave a soft growl and shook his head to clear it, waiting until the pain faded and he felt some semblance of normality until he looked up. 

When he did, he saw the ice blue elf in front of him this time, the other two a slight distance away. This elf seemed to radiate coldness and stability, a sense of power about him. He calmly held out his hand, eyes expressionless as he waited for Joren to right himself.

Joren gave a slight glare at the elf, straightening abruptly; _do I look like him when I'm around others?_ He relaxed suddenly, as if determined to look unconcerned as he reached out and clasp the other man's hand in his. 

It was worse this time, much, much worse. The purple elf had tried to ease his pain slightly, by slowing down the rate of information a little bit, but the ice blue elf seemed to not care and overwhelmed his mind with information. Joren tried to cling to consciousness; his eyes set with determination. As abruptly it started, it ended just as swiftly and the ice blue elf stood back, watching impassively as Joren stumbled to the ground. 

Joren looked up from his haze of pain as he heard them begin to talk in unison to him once more, trying to focus on their words as he concentrated on keeping the pain away. 

"You are not bad human, you may be worthy of what the gods bestowed upon you."

He suddenly thought of many nasty little comments to throw at the trio, and would have done so if the pain hadn't been so overwhelming. He just gave an icy glare at them all, silently gaining more control over the power.

"Use the power well, never for evil, always for good. Take care of our little sister." And with that, the elves disappeared in shades of light, vanishing quickly from Joren's senses. The door suddenly appeared again when they were completely gone, as if it never left in the first place.

__

Little sister? Joren stumbled towards the door and pulled it opened, suddenly wanting to get out quickly, even if he wasn't fully composed. _Kel… it's Kel they were talking about. _

~

Kel was pacing in front of the door, a slight frown on her face as she waited for Joren to come out impatiently, "It has already been three hours! What happened to Joren?" She looked slightly annoyed, and even more worried, her steps quickening.

Raen looked at her in amusement, his dark blue eyes soft as he watched her progress, _It takes longer for some to assimilate the information I suppose. Besides, the boy is a human and that room was designed for elves, it may be some of the reason why he is taking long_ He sat down patiently across from her, watching her movements calmly. 

Suddenly the door was yanked open and the person in question stumbled through it, slamming into Kel and knocking them both to the floor. She froze, eyes widen slightly as she stared nose to nose into Joren's eyes. _Goddess…_ for once his defenses seemed to be down and she glimpsed for just a second some unreadable emotion in his eyes mingled with tiredness. 

Joren looked down at her in shock, _so close…_ His gaze trailed down from her eyes to her lips and just stared at it for a second, wondering idly if she tasted the same as before, _sweet like chocolate…_ _What the fuck am I thinking about?_ He jerked his gaze away and abruptly got up, looking away from Kel as he tried to get back his composure. 

She blinked in confusion before a light blush appeared on her cheeks. Kel also got up and shook her head as if to clear it, looking at Joren, wondering silently what was wrong with him. "Are you okay?" her voice held slight tones of worry in it.

He looked at her calmly now, vaguely aware that the two elves and hizar were watching them like a bunch of eagles, "Fine Kel, I'm just fine. You could go in now," he gestured to the door and leaned against the wall casually, getting his rather hurried breathing back under control. As she turned and opened the door, he called out to her softly, "It will hurt, a lot, just get ready." 

She stole a glance back at him and gave a slight nod, her hazel brown eyes determined as she walked through the door and into the mirror like room.

~

Kel looked around in wonderment, a slight smile appearing on her lips as she examined the mirrors with a curious eye. _They are flawless… not even a scratch on them… amazing. _She glanced back behind her at the door, silently noting that it had disappeared, _the elves have the strangest rooms._ As light filled the room, she looked on with confusion, wondering what was happening.

Suddenly a tall elf appeared with a silver gem and silver eyes. He seemed to be rather young in her estimation, looking to be about 30 years of age… that probably translated into 100 in elfin years. He watched her silently for a moment, his head tilted to one side as if making a judgment about her. Slowly a grin appeared as he spoke in ringing tones,

"You are the holder of a white gem, powerful for one so young, for one who has to go to battle at such a young age." His eyes held traces of sadness as he spoke, "You are my descendent, that is certain, what is set before you is a cruel task and I for one shall watch over you." He stretched out his hand towards her, eyes kind, "Take it, for your destiny has been written in the stars and the coming time is not going to be easy on you," suddenly he gave a mysterious smile, "But maybe, just maybe, there will be some form of hope and love guiding your way."

She stared at his hand for a moment, her mind storing away what he was telling her. She stepped forward resolutely and took his hand in hers, a small smile gracing her lips as she mentally prepared herself. Kel made no sound, no indication that anything was happening to her, that she was seeing anything, her eyes smooth and slightly glazed, stubbornness in her form. 

Pain lanced through her mind, the pain deep and nearly unbearable. She stood against it like a rock against a swift current, ignoring it stolidly until it was over. As it finished, Kel leaned against a wall; her forehead slightly matted with sweat as she ran through the information she now knew and obtained. She looked over at the silver elf, her eyes questioning. 

He gave her a proud smile and a slight bow, straightening once more to look into her eyes, "You shall be great, though tragedy may seem to only come from this all at first, it will get better down the road, this I promise you. Be careful little one, the road ahead it full or rocks and deep holes, make certain you don't get trapped in any of them." With that, he disappeared in a flurry of silver light and the door appeared before her once more. 

Kel walked through it calmly, eyes set with determination.

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A/N:

IceWind: *grins* OMG! I'm going on to chapter 20! *makes big eyes* Amazing! And I'm not even close to being done yet. 

Kaori: *smirks* Stop congratulating yourself, it's not as if anyone cares anyway!

Raen: *rolls his eyes and changes the subject* Look! Kel and Joren are… err… almost together! *silly grin*

IceWind: *evil smile* Let me just say that they are getting together very, very soon. Hope you guys can wait until the next chapter! :P this chapter was not bad lengthwise, enjoy it people! Well… nothing else to say, so ja ne! 

~

Facts:

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

__

Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

__

Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

__

Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

__

Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get bubble gum *hands person bubble gum*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	20. And So It Begins

Aether Winds

Chapter twenty- And So It Begins

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *sweatdrop* Fanfiction.net was down, couldn't upload for the longest of times! *makes a face* oh well! That gave me more time to write the chapter! ^.^ 

Raen: *snickers softly as he muttered softly* lazy, lazy, lazy…

Kaori: *hops out from her place and stared at the hizar, squeaking* You sound like me for once! *her ears were up in surprise* 

IceWind: *scowls at them both and pouts* Humph! *turns away and looks at the readers, still pouting* Anyway, here's the next chapter.

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Dream Wind: I really don't think that anyone is making a movie of any of the Tamora Pierce books yet… *pouts* Though if they did, it would most likely be of the Alanna series don't you think? And here I thought it wasn't a real cliffhanger that time *mock sigh* Oh well.

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DragonShimmer: *evil, evil grin* Closer in this chapter? Oh… your gunna love this chapter… ^.~

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Jarna Hill: *hugs Raen for her* lol. *Raen puffs up and starts to prance*

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Sapphire Dragon: Well… *blink, blink* I really only read Kel/Joren, but I'll read yours as well! ^.^ Do you mind constructive criticism? I'm not saying that you have any, I haven't read it yet, but if I find anything, would you mind if I pointed it out? *large sweatdrop* 

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Fntsyangel: *shakes head frantically* No! It's not from lotr! Really! It was an idea I got after I read someone's original story… don't ask whose 'cause I don't remember lol. 

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Serenity: *gapes at her* Oh wow… I think you're the only one who remembered that! SHHH!!! I'll tell you when the time comes lol. Kudos for you! 

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Pegature/Centasis Cat: Ehh… *winks* No prob, I'm working on it. 

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Kel looked at Arylanth in frustration, whining in a manner most uncharacteristic of her, "Why do I have to wear this?" She gave a glance down to the forest green dress she was wearing, a slight frown marring her face, "I am not some… some… weak little lady that can't take care of herself!" She sighed and rubbed her head. 

The queen gave a soft chuckle before shaking her head, "You Auntie, are _going_ to wear this dress! You may not be a 'weak little lady' but you are a princess of Lorynthia!" She flashed her aunt a smile, an altogether mischievous smile, "Besides, unless you show up in a dress, Joren will attend. The elves want to examine this gem of his… and yours too for that matter." 

A scowl made a way onto Kel's face when she saw the all to amused smile on Arylanth's lips, "Your enjoying my predicament a little to much… _niece._" A reluctant smile briefly appeared at the surprise in the elf's face. She glanced down once again at the dress and tilted her head, contemplative, _hmm… for some reason this dress seems to be rather familiar to me, wonder why._ Kel turned her head towards Raen, who was coincidentally looking straight at the door, not at the queen or at Kel, "Well?"

The hizar lowered his haunches to the floor, still refusing to look at Kel or Arylanth. He sighed and flicked an ear backwards towards them, replying sourly, _What I do not understand Mistress, is why I cannot turn around and tell you what I think _He expelled a mental sigh, and his mind voice suddenly had a hint of jealousy, _You never told that _dog_ of yours back in 'Tortall' to turn around I bet! _

Kel smothered a laugh, altogether too amused about Raen's predicament, _ever since I told him about everyone back in Tortall last night, he seemed to be particularly jealous about Jump and my other pets. I wonder why… HE isn't a pet that's for sure. As much as I love Jump and them, Raen is still a little more special to me; it may be because we're bonded._ She tried to speak in a tone that was reassuring, letting only a hint of her amusement be heard, "Jump is different, he is only a dog. You are a hizar and much more aware…" a soft chuckle resonated in the room, "And you can talk." She tilted her head to the side, ignoring the elf's queen indignant huff as she tried to rearrange the dress to drape over her form in a complimentary way, "You can look now." 

In a rather haughty way, Raen turned around and looked up and down his Mistress's form in a slightly critical manner before announcing with a hint of pride, _Lovely, simply lovely… Nobody is as exquisite as you are Mistress_

"Flatterer! You're only trying to get on my good side." 

__

When am I ever not he added in stubbornly, _You are the most beautiful in the land… or in the two worlds _He flicked his tail jauntily, amusement apparent in his dark blue eyes. 

"Heh, I should know not to ask my bonded for an honest opinion on matters such as these," Kel turned towards Arylanth with a slight smile, "What do you think?" Feeling slightly euphoric, she twirled slightly in a manner so unlike herself. 

With a contemplative air, Arylanth looked at her aunt's form with a smile, eyeing her over carefully. The dress was beautifully cut, made of the finest, and most valuable coincidentally, silks and fabrics in the land. It hugged Kel's figure and then flared out slightly towards the bottom, though still rather slim on her. The neckline was something that Kel had protested about at first, a little lower then she was comfortable with wearing, but what she was 'comfortable' with wearing made her seem like an old maiden. The back was bared slightly, and the fabric draped over Kel's body in a most complimentary way. The sleeves were long and gracefully, flaring out at the end and giving wide purchase so she could actually hide a dagger or two in them. The dress allowed as much movement as it could and still look wonderful… _I wonder if I should tell Auntie that the dress had been made for her a long time ago… _She gave her head a mental shake and smiled, "While you may not be the most beautiful woman in the two worlds Auntie, you look very, very good." That was true, the forest green of the dress seemed to bring out the flecks of gold in Kel's hazel eyes and compliment her mahogany brown hair gracefully. The dress seemed to have been made for Kel… which it had been in days long past. Arylanth added in teasingly, "You look good enough for that man of yours anyway." 

Kel shot Arylanth a slightly confused look, before the information dawned in her brain… and then she blushed furiously, saying quickly, "Joren and I aren't like that!" Refusing to dwell on the reason why she was denying it so adamantly, she gave the queen a mild glare. 

"…Why do I not believe you Auntie?" Arylanth gave a secret grin as she saw Kel start to sputter, changing topics quickly and smoothly, "You look great, it's almost time until we make our appearance. Since I'm being escorted by Elladon, you shall be escorted by Joren." She gently tugged on Kel's arm and began to lead her out of the room, ignoring the utterly surprised look that was on her face. 

~

Joren stood in front of the mirror and looked critically at himself, the only thing marring his appearance was a slight sneer of distaste on his face, "Why the hell do I have to do this again?" He tossed the question towards the amused Elladon, eyeing what the elves have given him to wear for the ball. He smoothed down his elaborate tunic and gave a slight grimace. 

__

Because you have to, the elves want to examine your gem. Rather nosy bunch if I do say so myself

He held back an amused look, making sure his face was wiped clean of all emotion, _figures Demon Wind has to have a say._ Funny things were these bonds; he had found out just recently… _last night_… that his horse could talk into his head, and that Kel's horse could relay messages to his horse to give to him. It was enough to make any normal person's head spin… not that Joren was a normal person.

Elladon looked puzzled at the slightly blank look in Joren's face before replying with a slight smile, "You said you would only come if Lady Kel goes to the ball wearing a dress, and since she is, you are going to have to go." 

A soft snort escaped from Joren, a slight smile curving his face for a moment as he thought out loud, "And who would have thought that Kel would actually go through with it. Figures, never expect her to do anything, she'll go around and to the opposite." He stepped back from the mirror and smirked, "Let's go." He began to walk towards the door at a quick pace, wishing vehemently that this ball would be done soon, _tomorrow… we get back to Tortall… We have to warn the king about this great evil coming upon us._ He tossed a look over his shoulder at Elladon, a slightly impatient look appearing, "Hurry up." 

The elf king gave a sheepish smile, looking up from his own mirror. Usually he was calm and reserved, but to his reasoning, Joren was almost like part of family, maybe he would be one day… A slight smirk appeared before it was wiped away, a somber elf king once again returning. He turned around and walked towards the door as well, calling out belatedly, "We're supposed to meet my wife and Lady Keladry at the doors to the great ball room, I'm escorting my wife, and you shall be escorting Lady Keladry." 

Joren whirled around, a single eyebrow raised, "Escorting? _That_ wasn't part of the deal." He gave a slight frown, ice blue eyes showing nothing.

Elladon calmly took his arm and began to pull the young man out; he was much stronger then he appeared, "You are going to escort her. Lady Keladry needs one and it's better then one of the elves, they would spend to much time fawning over her and might make her trip." He hid a smile, tugging Joren after him. 

"Fawning?!" Joren's bewildered voice wafted into the heavy room as their forms disappeared. 

~

Kel paced the hall, a slightly annoyed look in her eyes, "What can be taking them so long? I want this over and done with so we can get back to Tortall…" She gave a glance at the queen and smiled slightly, "No offense to you of course, but I'm getting worried." Her dress swirled around her, and she absently reached out a hand to smooth it down, enjoying the soft feel of the fabric under her callused hand. She could just imagine Neal coming out and gaping at her in wonderment, _he'd probably be wondering what happened to me and if he should attack the impostor who does such a bad job at impersonation…_

A lofty voice wafted into her mind, _He would die before he raised a hand_ Raen flicked his tail in boredom, shadowing Kel's every move in dutiful watchfulness. _Humans and their silly events… we hizar have no need for such things…_ He heaved a mental sigh and resigned himself to the fact that he would probably be doing this a lot, _my fault for bonding to a human… half human… whatever._ The last thought was tinged with fondness; he did like his Mistress a lot. 

She gave a soft chuckle at the hizar's statement, watching Arylanth walk around the halls impatiently, the elf queen's own dress flaring around her as she paced. Kel sighed and leaned against the wall, asking in a bored tone, "Why is it that the men complain about us taking so long?"

"It's most probably Elladon who's taking a long time," the queen stopped her own pacing to smile at her aunt, "He does seem to take longer then I do to get changed, especially for big occasions like this one." Her head jerked up as she saw two very familiar figures walk down the hall, she called out in a slightly annoyed voice, "Finally!"

Joren glanced up and nearly gaped at the sight of them both before smoothing over his expression or reveal nothing. _She, Kel… well she looks all right in a dress. _He impulsively smoothed down his hair slightly, walking up to both of them in even steps, "Seems like Kel can clean up nicely, surprising." His light eyes glittered with slight humor, eyes looking at her up and down several times. 

A scowl made it's way onto Kel's face and she raised her chin slightly, coloring when she saw his gaze look over her. "What Joren, spend too much time looking at yourself in a mirror to get here on time?" She met his gaze squarely, looking him over silently. _Not bad… of course it's Joren so the effect is kind of wasted._ She gave herself a mental slap. 

Arylanth smiled at the duo, she looked at Elladon who offered his arm to her and took in graciously. They began sweeping towards the large ball door and waited for the elf standing beside to announce them, she called out softly, "Hurry up, you two are next." They were soon announced, and they started walking through the door and down the steps gracefully, looking very much like a royal couple.

Joren gave a slight smirk and offered his arm to Kel wordlessly, one eyebrow raised. She gave an inaudible sigh and took his arm, thinking murderous thoughts about knights who shouldn't have to do these sorts of things. She tilted her head and looked down at Raen, asking softly, "Following us?" As the hizar gave a slight nod in agreement, their names and titles were being called and they started to descend in a manner Kel hoped was correct. 

The ballroom was extremely beautiful and looked as if it had been labored under for weeks to look this exquisite. Pure marble white walls lined the area, the broad sweeping arches going to the outside led to the royal gardens. There wasn't much for decoration, the natural beauty of the flowers and the flora littering the room standing out from the cold whiteness of the marble. Each one of the flowers looked to be placed specifically to stand out and color the atmosphere warmly, bright dots of blue, purple, green, yellow, all different colors lit the atmosphere. 

Soft wisps of golden light filtered in the room, through unknown means, though it was most probable that the light elves had done it. Delicate figurines framed the room, each one depicting a different story from one of the elves long histories. One was starkly familiar to Kel, her thoughts racing before she finally understood, it was of an elf with his hands cupping a gem, eyes closed, a fierce yet resigned expression upon his face. It was the elf in the memory room, the one that gave her the memories to use her gem, the silver gemmed elf. 

All eyes were upon Kel and Joren, splendidly dressed elves watching with curiosity and some with expectation. Raen trailed behind the duo, his head up, a showy walk gracefully covering ground, an arrogant look in his dark blue eyes. His ears twitched every which way, alert and watchful. 

As they reached the bottom of the steps a male elf walked up to them both, green eyes familiar, it was Laynith, their guide to the forest. He gave a gracious bow to Kel and held out his hand, a slight smile playing on his face, "Care to dance Mi'lady?"

Kel gave him a worried look and fidgeted slightly with her hands before nodding an assent, _oh goddess, dancing, we all had lessons, but I've never actually had to dance with those that weren't my friends in class… etiquette, who needs it? Apparently I do…_ Ignoring the fact that her thoughts were remarkably sarcastic for one thinking to herself, she took his hand in hers and gave a nervous smile, "Of course Laynith, nice to see you again." 

As Laynith swept Kel off into dancing, Joren moved unobtrusively to the side, it was apparent that the elves were more interested in Kel then in him, _first time that has ever happened…_ He gave a smirk in amusement and grabbed one of the delicate hors d'oeuvres some elves were handing out, ignoring the fact that Raen was standing next to him and that several elves were moving his way. 

"Hello, you must be Lord Joren," a pretty and lithe elf stood in front of him, her cerulean blue eyes probing, looking more at his gem that at him. Next to her were three more elves, one more female and two males, they were watching avidly, interested looks in their eyes. The one with the cerulean eyes continued to speak, "The one with the gem that controls more then what it appears. I am Lirith, and they are Terasil," she pointed to the female and then gestured towards the two males, "Karol and Derian." 

Raen gave them a dismissive look, his eyes watchful as they looked towards his Mistress, clearly not happy with whatever he was thinking of. Joren just gave a slight smile at them, _good impression… _and a nod, "Yes, why do you ask?" His tone of voice was cool and slightly detached, contrasting with his smile. Out of the corner of his eye he quietly observed Kel getting barraged with different elves… most of them male. He felt some sort of annoyance at the elves, which he quickly squashed from his thoughts ruthlessly. 

Karol spoke up next, brushing back a strand of light brown hair, "We just want to examine it for ourselves. It's fascinating that you have a gem, and one of it's sort of properties, we were wondering if the norm applies to your getting one, being just a human and all." His voice had slight traces of arrogance in them, eyes looking at Joren.

With a slight sneer at them, not caring for etiquette anymore, he lifted up his chain; showing the gem, but not letting any of the elves touch it. The gem looked mainly ice blue, except once in a while swirls of purple and red appeared within it, symbolizing the elements ice, fire, and psy. Finally he asked, "What do you mean, the 'norm'?" Slight suspicion laced his voice, eyes narrowing slightly. 

Arylanth suddenly swept up to the group, surprising even the observant elves. She gave them a tight smile and spoke to Joren; "Oh… the powers and such I think they were talking about. What strength and degree, actually, he has better control and power then many elves," the last she directed to the group, her eyes pointed with shadowed meanings. 

Joren opened his mouth, starting to go into a scathing reply when he spotted Kel surrounded by a group of elves and seemed a little harassed and annoyed, _who knew elves were so fucking annoying?_ He just gave the group a little look of indifference and gave a very slight bow to the queen before walking towards Kel, Raen trotting at his heels. He edged his way past several elves and stood at Kel's side, a slightly irate expression on his face, "What the hell is up with them?" Usually eloquent with others when he had to, Joren was remarkably short with the elves.

Kel gave Joren a startled look, a brief relief passing through her eyes at someone familiar to her, _thank god, as much as I love the elves, once you get them excited…_ she mentally shook her head, a smile appearing on her face, "We were discussing dreams, mine in particular." She suddenly paused and looked towards the elves once more, "I also had a dream where I was wearing a long green dress," she trailed off and suddenly looked down at herself, eyes wide, "This one!" Shock registered on her features, the dress she had on now was identical to the one she had in the dream with the stone and that poem…

"The dress?" Arylanth had of course, followed Joren and Raen to the little group, her eyes suddenly alert, "Anything else happen Auntie?" She had a slight suspicion, but she wouldn't voice any of them yet, not until she heard the rest. 

"Dreams…" Kel's voice was quiet, the elves and Joren had to strain slightly to hear her, "Before I came I had so many dreams, not only the one where I was sent to Medea. Some I was running away in a maze of darkness before some…one helped me. It was cold, so cold…" Her voice was soft, remembering, "Another was with this dress and nothing else. A stone was there, holding a poem…" She quoted it softly, suddenly and poignantly remembering every word.

"Four elements that is known

Fire, air, earth, and water

They make up nature and set the tone

But they are not the only ones in danger

-

Light is the fifth one

Bright it has glowed

Its power could banish a ton

Of demons taking what evil has bestowed

-

Dark is the sixth

Black and sly in night

Its creatures are graceful and lithe

Yet it can also be controlled by goods light

-

Psy is the seventh

One of the most undetectable

Its power could bring a person to death

It's in the mind, nearly impenetrable

-

Lightening is the eighth one

Only two more left to go

Its power starts when the storms have sung

It can protect or destroy, but only the users know

-

Ice is the ninth 

A cold and deadly fear

Its weapon is a frozen scythe

A power evoked by the tundra's tears"

When Kel was finished reciting, the group surrounding her was extremely silent, their eyes appraising and highly thoughtful. Suddenly Kel's hazel eyes widened and she exclaimed, "The last element is aether! My dream was trying to tell me about it." She tilted her head, eyes thoughtful, "But why have a dream like that? The last part was scratched out and then… then there were _things_ trying to get me. A voice, cold and evil, said 'you shall never accomplish the task that destiny has set out for you, I will not let you…' It was about to get me, but then a hand was held out… and I took it and I felt so safe… and warm…" her voice trailed off, obviously remembering the incident. _He said… the voice… my soul. What did he mean?_

Joren stood stalk still for a moment, his ice blue eyes narrowed slightly, his fists clenching slightly as he mussed to himself about what Kel had spoken about, _I… I'll not tell her yet. _A mirthless smile flitted across his face, _she'll probably scream, maybe faint. Hell, I'm considering fainting right now._ _When did I get so weak?_ He gave a soft sigh, barely audible except for one extremely sharp hearing hizar next to him. 

Arylanth spoke up finally, "That poem is one of the oldest that the elves have ever known, the last part was nearly forgotten and only a select few knows the entire thing. It was part of the prophecy about the Great Evil, I think that the dream was partly prophetic, do you know who the hand was?" Her eyes rested on Joren's form for a moment before returning to Kel. At Kel's shake of the head, the queen went on, "The last part went like…"

"The last was aether

The original power flow

Its power is an incredible lure

One which the depths we'll never know" 

She gave a wry smile, "We never could figure out the significance of the poem. It didn't seem to be very important to us other then a symbol of our long history." She suddenly shook her head, waving away the gathering elves with a hand, "We better get back to the festivities. This is a time for… celebration and to get our minds off the impending battle. If you had any other dreams like that Auntie, treat them as if they were premonitions… I think that was what they were." Elladon approached her with a smile and held out his arm, she took it in hers and they went off to dance. 

Kel gave a slight nod and wondered if she could just slip off quietly and go back to her room. She had a lot to think about… She started making excuses to all of the others, "I'm sorry, I'm tired right now." _Well it's true, I think I danced with more elves here then I ever had throughout my entire life._ She edged away from everyone slowly, trying to blend in and get out quickly. 

Out of corner of his eye, Joren spotted Kel slip out into the gardens; _she's probably heading towards her room._ What he also saw made him frown slightly, Laynith slipped out after her, _what the hell?_ Shrugging to himself he began to follow them silently, ignoring the highly alert hizar who was trailing him. 

~

When he finally arrived at Kel's door, hiding behind a particularly large statue, he watched Laynith give Kel a nod and a slight kiss on the hand, saying "I'll see you later Mi'lady," and then walking away slowly. Joren gave a slight grimace, noting absentmindedly that Raen was baring his teeth and giving a silent growl at Laynith's retreating back. He watched Kel watch Laynith walk away and then lean her head against the door in a gesture of tiredness, "Tired?" his voice was slightly pointed, but he didn't seem to notice. He stepped out from behind the statue, leaning against a nearby wall. 

"Huh? Oh hi Joren," she turned from the door and gave him a slight smile, nodding, "Yeah, kind of tired. We have a long day tomorrow don't we? With going back to Tortall." She raised a hand and stifled a yawn against it, hazel brown eyes blinking sleepily. 

"How tired?" his voice was like a low purr, an unknown emotion flashing through his eyes, "Not tired enough to encourage Laynith to come over to your rooms later tonight." He gave a slight smirk at her, glaring slightly at the thought.

She gave him a confused look, _what is he talking abo-_, realization suddenly dawned on her and she blushed lightly, shaking her head, "No, no. Laynith just wants to talk about something later. About my dreams I think." 

"Now why don't I believe you?" Joren took several steps closer to her, eyes intent. Raen watched silently, surprisingly not doing a thing to help Kel with her predicament. He seemed to melt away in some nearby shadows only his dark blue eyes even slightly noticeable, both Kel and Joren had seemed to forget his presence entirely. 

Now a slight glare appeared on her face, _and he has been acting so nice these past few days… well maybe not 'nice' per say, but tolerable in the least._ Her voice was slightly frosty as she asked coolly, "Jealous now?" 

He gave a snort, watching her glare even more at him, "You would like that wouldn't you _Kel_?" He took some steps closer to her, now only about a step or two away. 

She snarled out at him softly, willing herself not to move an inch, "What ever makes you think that _Joren_?" They weren't yelling, instead both of their voices were controlled, though barely, and quiet soft in volume. 

"This," with that, he swiftly crossed the scant two steps to her and brought his mouth down upon hers, arms holding her against the door commandingly while his lips pressed down harshly. Everything else quickly faded away around them, focusing on just the kiss. 

Kel resisted for a moment, her eyes wide in surprise, holding herself very still for it was apparent that she couldn't struggle out of Joren's hold. Soft moans escaped from her lips and finally tossing caution out the window, she wrapped both arms around his neck and started to kiss him back, damn the consequences. Fierce heat raced through her body and when she felt his tongue tracing her lip, she opened her mouth immediately and deepened the kiss.

Joren groaned softly in her mouth and his hand went to the door handle, fumbling it opened while continuing to kiss Kel, he forcefully pushed the both in through the door and landed on top of her in the bed, their actions getting even more heated.

Quietly Raen padded out of his hiding place, amusement set deep into his eyes. His gem glowed softly and the door silently swung shut. He then settled himself in front of the door and lied down, trying to keep the sounds of his Mistress's and the boy's 'activities' from reaching his ears as he kept a watchful vigil over them both. 

__

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:

IceWind: *evil, evil grin* Was it worth the wait? Hehehehe. Next chapter, they go home to Tortall! 

Raen: *chuckles then lowers his ears* Ugh, I don't need to know what they are doing in that room… in fact you can all guess.

IceWind: *laughs and ruffles his ears* By the way, I got myself a deadjournal account at http://www.deadjournal.com/users/icewind/ you all can check there for any updates in my progress. ^.^;; drop a comment or two if you want, I won't mind, in fact… it'd be fun to see what you guys say. 

Raen: *yawns* Sleep…

IceWind: *gives a nod* Yup! *grins* Ja ne! 

~

Facts:

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

__

Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

__

Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

__

Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

__

Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a blow pop *hands person a blow pop*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	21. Home Sweet… Hey! Where Are We?!

Aether Winds

Chapter twenty-one- Home Sweet… Hey! Where Are We?!

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *cringes lightly* Really sorry this was late, I didn't even start working on this until after fanfiction.net was up again -_-;;

Raen: *bounds up and licks her face* 

IceWind: *glomps him and smiles* On with the story!

****

Kaye: *kisses Raen on the cheek and grins*** **I left at the exciting part because I don't write yiffie stuff. *sweatdrop* for some reason it makes me embarrassed and I don't know what to write. 

****

Dream wind: I was thinking about Laynith getting Joren jealous, but there is a fact that I'm going to have to get them back to Tortall in this chapter… *blinks* I'll see what I can do though.

The Dark Lady Adrienne: *laughs* It didn't take that long for them to get around to it! *sees the disbelieving looks and blushes* Ok, ok, maybe I could have sped it up slightly, oh well. I'm not very good with the mushy 'I love you forever' stuff, especially between Kel and Joren. 

****

(I couldn't see a name for this person lol): It's aether winds because… *blinks* Well for one, I thought it was a cool name *shrugs* two, because aetheric energy is like the winds, it comes and goes at increasing and decreasing intervals. I guess it's also because of the Kalyrath horses as well. ^.^ To watch the great evil huh? *evil grin* Just read and find out.

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Shivohn: *blinks* That is about the _longest_ review I have ever had ^_^ thanks. You kinda read this story a LOT *sweatdrop* Even I at the max had only read it twice, and I'm the author! Yup, Kel is ooc *angry look* but there isn't really much I can do about it lol, so your stuck with her. Yeah, I know about Card Captor Sakura *grins* I know lots of anime! The soul mates part… *ponders* Well, about this chapter ^.^ Radock and Darial *rocks back and forth on her heels and smirks* You'll find out. Well the part about Kel being a virgin I don't think is really important, but yeah, I think she was lol. 

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Krazy Kitty: Err… as much as I liked to grant your request… *blushes lightly* I find that I'm more comfortable writing action then romance *coughs* In fact, I get horribly self-conscious writing even a kissing scene! I don't know how they are going to kiss, how I'm going to describe it, how I'm supposed to try to keep them in character at the same time… ^.^;; If anyone wants to write a NC-17 scene, that's fine with me, just as long as they give due credit and tell me so I could tell others… (hmm… I'll go write that in bold on the bottom)

Larzdinn: *gives a friendly pat on the back* Awww… it's ok! Really! Actually, I'm surprised people stuck with me so far with the fic! ^-^

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Warm… Kel gave a happy sigh, feeling a comforting heat surround her, small rays of light streaming through the window and hitting her shut eyes. A peaceful and content look filled her face, feeling more at peace then she had been in a long time. She snuggled closer to the heat source until she hit against it, making a small crease in her forehead by her slight confusion. _Wha? _Suddenly with a sense of trepidation, Kel slowly opened her eyes, coming face to face with a bewildered and recently awakened Joren. Ice blue eyes stared into hazel before she finally spoke, eyes wide, "Great Mother Goddess… What the hell happened?" Surprisingly her voice was soft and light, most likely because of the comfortable and content feeling she still felt around her. 

Joren looked at Kel in surprise, his light blond hair was mussed up, and a look of deep relaxation was apparent on his face. He spoke in a wry tone, looking for once slightly confused, "It looks like we were… how does Daine call it? Oh yes, 'canoodling'" Piercing ice blue eyes looked at Kel, waiting for her inevitable reaction. Before she could even open her mouth, a familiar voice floated into the room.

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Well… usually soul mates know that they are in love before they acknowledge the bond and consummate it A decidedly chipper hizar pranced into the stilled room, ears pricked towards the pair, his tail wagging slightly, _Even so, it took Mistress and you boy long enough_ The ebon hizar continued on blithely, for now ignoring the twin pairs of shocked gazes that were trained on his form, _By the way Mistress, I kept any and all out of the way of the room so they wouldn't disturb you two_

"…What?! Soul mates?" she trailed off, her hazel eyes getting wider with each word that came, well not out of the hizar's mouth, but rather his mind. Kel darted a look towards Joren, wanting to see how he took the news himself, "How did that happen?" _…soul mates… that… oh goddess…_ She then turned away from him, unwilling to see whatever expression may be on his face, though she did not seem to realize that she was still pressed against Joren's chest. 

Joren was silent, eyes narrowing slightly in thought, a slightly angry look on his face as he hissed out softly to Raen, "You and the elves knew that little fact didn't you? That's why those elves seemed to know it all, and when they were about to tell me, that elf queen ran them away." His hand clenched around the bed sheets, refusing to dwell on the fact that he and Kel supposedly shared one soul. _Kel and I are soul mated? That can't be right! She hates me… and I hate her. _He gave a slight shudder, darting a glance at Kel and finding her facing away from him, _don't I? Doesn't she?_

Kel heard his irate voice and gave a soft sigh, starting to get up from the bed and leave the comforting warmth, _I don't think I can deal with this, not now…_ She felt confusion welling up inside her, but… wait… that wasn't her confusion. Sitting up in the bed, she clenched her eyes shut and searched for where the emotion was coming from, and surprisingly found it coming from Joren who always seemed so in control. She cast him a slightly puzzled look, loathing to leave the warmth and comfort, but feeling as if she should and that he would like it better. 

As Joren felt her leave his side, as if something was being wrenched deep inside of him, his hand darted out and grabbed her arm, pulling Kel back roughly into the bed, hissing softly in her ear, "Your not going anywhere just yet." Joren suddenly let go of her arm as if it stung him, eyes widening slightly in alarm. 

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Good move, maybe this soul bond thing between you two will work out. Arctic Wind says that her Mistress doesn't jump into things without a lot of thought, and may be jumpy right now 

A soft, almost inaudible snort came from Joren, he could have told the Kalyrath horses that. He raised a hand and nervously ran it through his messy hair as he propped himself up upon an elbow, looking at Raen emotionlessly. 

Suddenly the hizar seemed to pick up upon his emotionless stare and suddenly began to back out slowly, a knowing gleam in his dark blue eyes. His ears were pricked towards the pair, and as he backed out, the door opened silently, _I guess, I leave you two to talk it over… When you are done you are to go to the throne room_ That said, he whirled around and trotted out, the door swinging shut behind him. 

Silence hung heavily in the air at the hizar's departure before Kel turned around with a blank face and looked at Joren, a hint in inquisitiveness in her hazel eyes, "What now?" She felt wrung out and confused, here she was trying to digest the fact that she and Joren were soul mates when she had just finished dealing with her having had sex with the man! It was enough to make any sane person's head spin, _but things like this seem to be happening every day in the life of Keladry of Mindelan… just my luck._ At the thought, her nose scrunched up slightly in distaste.

Joren studied Kel's face silently, ignoring her question for the moment before finally saying in a slightly annoyed voice, "You may not like being soul bonded to me Kel, but it's not like you're going to have a second chance and bond to an elf like Laynith," slight distaste colored his tone at the name. He was annoyed… and was rapidly becoming even more annoyed because he could not pinpoint the reason why he was so annoyed in the first place. 

She gave him a scowl, answering him in what she hoped was a calm manner, "I did not want to be bonded to an elf, nor to anyone else for that matter! Ugh! Why can't you just be civil while I try to think this out?" She closed her eyes and fell back onto the broad bed, forehead slightly creased with thought. _What am I going to do??? ARG! What is everyone going to say when we get back to Tortall? Maybe he would just agree to hide it… which of course means having to ask him… _

"Look Mindelan-" Joren began to speak again, looking irate at Kel's conflicting emotions that appeared fluidly on her face. 

"Kel, my name is Kel, Joren," she spoke tiredly, bringing up a hand and flicking a stray piece of hair from his eyes, _holy shit, why did I do that?_ Suddenly she brought her hand back and looked at him guardedly, a faint scowl on her face, just daring him to comment on what she just did. 

To her surprise, Joren just ignored that little move, continuing in speaking, "Why do you care if I call you Kel or Mindelan?" He watched her silently; _someone is going to have to pay for all the stupid things that are coming out of my mouth right now._

Kel froze, _ugh; he just had to ask a question as complicated to explain then what I just did._ She gave a sigh and rubbed her forehead, "Because while I don't really like the situation we are in currently, it does not mean that I will degenerate back to what we were before." _And calling each other by our last names is definitely that… plus it doesn't really seem right, I'm losing my mind._

He eyed her strangely, suddenly sighing and throwing his ice blue eyes up to the ceiling in an uncharacteristic gesture; "Does that mean I haven't been the bad-ass I usually am around you? Fuck, I'm slipping." His lips curved into a wry smile, glancing at Kel for a moment. 

The sentence did its trick, Kel started chuckling softly, shaking her head in amusement, "Ah well… I guess you're not the worse person to be soul bonded to… I think." The last part was said teasingly, if he was going to act out of character then she could as well. 

Joren gave her a slightly amused look and thought over his next words carefully, "Hmm… I suppose the same could be said for you," after he spoke, a small silence reigned over the room, both participants uncomfortable, but not willing to admit it. Finally Joren sighed, clearly exasperated, muttering, "Fuck this," he reached out a hand and cupped the back of Kel's head, roughly bringing her forward into a kiss. 

Unlike their previous kisses and contrary to his sudden motion, this was soft and slightly tentative, touching down upon her lips lightly… very un-Joren like. At first Kel knew hardly how to respond, before it always seemed like a meshing of their mouths together at a furious pace, but this… this was delicate and gentle… and oh so nice. She gave a soft sound, something between a whimper and a moan as she responded by pushing them together a little closer. He just traced her bottom lip lightly with his tongue, gently persuading her to open her mouth- which she did- and carried it on from there. 

Time seemed to fly by as they just continued to kiss, until they finally had to come up for air. Joren ripped his grasp on Kel's mouth and they both just stared at each other for a moment, heaving slightly. Finally Kel murmured softly, "The others are waiting for us…" At his nod she gave a small smile and began to climb out of bed.

"Wait-" Joren grabbed her arm, and once again pulled her toward him, pressing his lips lightly against her own before releasing it, as she stared at him wide-eyes he smirked, "Not bad Kel… not bad at all…" With that he hopped out of bed, completely nude, and began to change quickly. 

Kel gave a deep blush as she saw him, turning around swiftly and pulling on her clothes, _just because I slept with the man doesn't mean I won't get self-conscious when I see him… naked… in front of me. _

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They both stood before Elladon and Arylanth, Joren giving a slight bow, while Kel standing there uneasily. Really, Joren didn't need to bow, but even though he was bonded to Kel it didn't mean he still didn't like to unsettle her a bit. Kel on the other hand, knew not whether to bow or whether to just stand there, she should give the proper greeting to the monarchs… but on the other hand she was also the relative of said monarchs and technically their elder… 

Raen ghosted over quietly from the side of the room he was sitting by, padding over on slender limbs without nary a sound. A faintly smug look was apparent upon his visage, his tail wagging and uplifted in a slightly arrogant manner, befitting of an alpha male; _Ah… so the boy and you worked it all out? Good_ His ears laid back slightly in annoyance as Joren reached out and flicked his tail. 

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Humph… hizar… just like cats, but only worse. Their arrogance and ego is large enough for more then five humans combined 

Joren gave a slight smirk at Demon Wind's quip, inwardly agreeing with the horse. He looked up at Arylanth, finally asking, "Are we going back to Tortall now? We must inform the king of the arising situation with this 'Great Evil' that's trying to destroy our world," he rolled his eyes, "It all sounds so cliché, like something out of one of the minstrel ballads." 

Kel glanced at him, saying quietly; "Didn't some say that in the beginning of the immortal wars? Personally, I don't know why Tortall seems to be the one nation that always gets mixed up in situations such as this." She gave a smile as Joren suddenly laughed.

"It must be the females in our country! If anyone has noticed, it seems there is always a particular female that seems to be in the thick of things. They're too damn stubborn for their own good!" He smirked pleasantly at Kel; "Yourself included of course." 

She gave him a playful mock bow, _hmm… just about 2 weeks ago I would be glaring and stoically standing here for his little comment… Goddess, I'm not sure if the changes are good or bad._ She felt amusement from Joren, though he was merely smirking and looking superior, _ha! Guess I'll know how he's feeling now._ Kel straightened and looked towards two elves, feeling slightly sheepish for ignoring them. "Good morning Arylanth, are we about to depart?" 

The queen gave a smile that was slightly tinged with sadness, "Yes Auntie, we'll go right now to the place where you can shift back to your world." She gave a soft sigh, "The elves shall miss you a lot." She and Elladon rose from their thrones, leading the way towards the stables. 

As Kel and Joren fell into step behind them, Raen by Kel's other side, Kel could not help but ask, "Why are we going to the stables? Isn't there a room or something where we can 'shift' to our world?" curiosity colored her tone as she cocked her head. 

As the rest listened in, Arylanth shook her head, "No, there are set points in where you can shift, and only in those points may you cross over into a new world. We are currently going to go to the nearest Shift point, which is only about a mile away." They continued on walking in silence, only the sound of their steps echoed in the halls. 

As they stepped out of the castle and wandered over to the stable, a loud neigh pierced the air and a white figure galloped out, a black stallion following in a statelier pace. Arctic Wind slowed down quickly at the site of Kel and nuzzled her cheek lightly, nickering to herself in what appeared to be a relieved manner. Kel gave a laugh and patted the horse's velvety nose, asking if she was ready to move out. In what appeared to be a nod, Arctic bobbed her graceful head up and down. 

"Demon Wind says that she has been beside herself with annoyance. Apparently since no elf could understand her, not to mention that it probably wouldn't have worked anyway," Joren ignored the indignant snort that came from the milky white mare, "she couldn't get into the castle and see you." He looked up at the stately ebony stallion that approached him, patting him lightly on the neck, "Your Kalyrath horse seems much more excitable then mine."

"They say that the Kalyrath's match the owner's personality…" Elladon glanced between each horse and bonded, "Though I'm not altogether sure that is true now." He gave an apologetic smile towards Kel, looking amused when Arctic tried to bury her head, failing miserably, into Kel's shoulder. 

Kel gave a slight nod in amusement, looking at her horse fondly, "I've only known you for a little bit Arctic, but your as close to me as I feel to Peach Blossom or Hoshi." She then glanced over the back, noting the many packs that the elves had place upon the horses, "Err… do Joren and I really need that many things? We are going back to Tortall and I don't want to overburden the horses." 

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Kalyrath horses can carry a much heavier load then regular horses can, being that they are magical creatures who only decided to dwell in bodies that seem very similar to horses. So mount up Mistress, and don't question Arylanth's wishes, it's probably an elf thing Raen's mind-voice chuckled softly into all of their heads as Arylanth frowned at the hizar and just shook her head. He trotted over swiftly to Arctic's side and waited for them all to get started. 

Several grooms came out while Joren and Kel were mounting up, leading two high spirited horses for Arylanth and Elladon to ride on. As soon as everything was ready, Arylanth gently kneed her horse into a steady, ground-eating canter, the rest of the group following her closely. 

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The sky was a brilliant sapphire color, the sun positioned in a way that told that it was mid-day. Gentle wisps of clouds rolled by lazily across the horizon, drifting in a slow manner, ever changing. A slightly breezy day, the wind felt good upon the skin, soothing the heat created by the sun's rays beating down against the earth. The air was crisp and clean, nothing sullying it in any way. Gentle sways of branches parted way before the odd group, showing a broad clearing that made Kel gasp out-loud in seeing it. 

"I… I know this place," her face showed nothing but surprise before that swiftly disappeared into a reminiscing look. Her hazel brown eyes widen slightly, gazing at the familiar stone altar; the broad stones sunk into the ground that contained inscribed words, even the familiar moss that grew at the base. She nudged Arctic along towards the altar slowly, taking in everything in a single glance before moving on.

Joren followed her immediately upon Demon Wind, Raen already standing beside her as she mounted down. He gave a brief glance around before returning his gaze upon Kel, eyes slightly curious, "What do you mean? We haven't been here before." He brushed back a piece of hair from his eyes, dismounting and leading Demon by the reigns up to the altar. 

Kel smiled, seemingly unaware of the fact that Arylanth and Elladon stood mounted on the edge of the clearing, not venturing any farther, "I've been here in a dream I had… and right after it I got my gem. I also believe that it's where I was 'shifted' to Tortall." She glanced up, slightly startled, as Arylanth began to speak.

"Oh Auntie, I believe that you should go back to your world now… just use your gem's power," the elf queen bit her bottom lip slightly, giving a small smile towards Elladon who placed his hand upon her arm in a comforting manner. "Just remember to come back and visit! And… we have messaged an elf that we placed in your world; he will meet you on the other side." She raised her hand and gestured in a way that made Joren and Kel believe was an elfin goodbye, Elladon echoing her movements scant instances later. 

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Now we will depart and go to your world Mistress… I shall always be by your side, just remember to include the horses and I into your spell Raen seemed only excited, his steps buoyed, ears erect, _Goodbye Queen, King, may our paths cross again soon_ At their nods, the hizar faced Kel, saying simply, _Let's go_

Kel brought out her gem and cupped it with a hand, letting go of Arctic's reign to use her other hand as well. She pulled deep within herself and tugged on her magic, letting it envelope her… and then the rest of her group. As Joren, Arctic Wind, Demon Wind, Raen, and herself started to fade from sight, she mouthed to Arylanth, _Goodbye._ For as much as she would like to believe that she would see the elf again, it was highly unlikely with the speed of time flow in Medea and the very good chances of her death in the war. 

When they finally faded from sight, Arylanth turned to Elladon, wiping a tear from her eye before saying strongly, "We have a war to fight, and plans to plot out… pray that the other side has enough power to carry out plan _Trebalia_. That plan and my Aunt may be the only way to win against the Great Evil." 

He watched her silently, before nodding once, a small smile upon his face, "I wonder why you didn't tell Lady Keladry about that plan." Elladon's voice was mildly questioning, not an infliction of any other emotion in his voice. 

"Because my love, I don't know yet if it will work… and I cannot raise false hopes," with that, the elves wheeled their horses around and began the trip back to home, the castle. 

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In a flash of light, Kel, Joren, Raen, and the horses appeared in a small, dark, slightly cramped room… with iron bars. With a sense of trepidation Kel looked around and whispered softly to Joren, her voice dumbfounded, "We're back in the Scanran dungeon!" With the horses it was a very, very tight fit, and with the sound of approaching footsteps, worries and anxiety began to fill in them all. 

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IceWind: Finally done! **Err… thing to ask:** If anyone wants, they can make a lemon scene of Kel and Joren and their time in the elf rooms… ^.^;; Just remember to tell me and give me credit, how else will I tell everyone else? Look at Krazy Kitty's comment reply for my reasons for asking.

Raen: *chuckles and flicks his tail* Was going to say more, but brother is yelling at me to get off, so ja! 

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Facts:

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Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

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Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

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Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

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Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

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Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

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Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

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Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

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Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

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My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a ice-cream. *hands person a ice-cream*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	22. Ignoring Certain Others

Aether Winds

Chapter twenty-two- Ignoring Certain Others

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: Ok, I'm going to start writing once more! *raises fist in air and looks like a dork*

Kaori: *snickers at her*

Raen: *looks up from his spot under a tree* Why don't you just start?

IceWind: *blinks, lowers fist, nods* ya! 

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Larzdinn: *gags on her drink* Woah, long review o.O;; Yay! Mwahahaha, procrastinate on your assignment! *sweatdrop* Ugh, I've been so… mushy that I NEED some action scenes now. Corn on the cob… MMMMmmmm…. You are full of conflicting emotions/ideas aren't you? *snickers* Don't worry, I'll try to get the chapters out. *suddenly shudders* Do you know the amount of guilt I'll be in if I make all you guys wait MONTHS? *giggles* And I did read your entire review, thanks for it!

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DragonShimmer: *winks* Me and stop my cliffhangers? BLASPHAMY! *large sweatdrop and then snickers* I love opposites… *grins* 

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Krazy Kitty: Of course I'll tell you, I just don't think anyone is going to do it. O.o;; 

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Caitie: *points finger at you and shrieks* Lurker! Hehe. *bonks you on the head* ^^;; *shrieks* A MONTH! AHHH! *hides* Sequel… actually I was thinking about that! *smirks* But I also have 2 other Kel/Joren ideas stuck in my head…

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Jarna Hill: Hmm… of course they'll be all right! *beams* If anything, Joren will blast evil people to pieces! (Kel is understandably tired lol) *hugs Raen and coos* 

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The Blind Assassin: Nude Joren… *gapes then suddenly blushes and turns around* I know what you mean, it was weird, but I really didn't know how to do everything. *smirks* Nude Joren in bed with me… *coughs*

**Shivohnsongbreeze****: **MWAHAHAHA! I _inspired _someone! Yay! Me go read it when you put it up! ^^;; 

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"Shit!" Joren cursed softly as he saw Kel waver slightly from the drain of transporting them back to Scanra. He could feel the weariness emanating from her body and so moved over to her, supporting her up roughly, arm jerking out his sword as he readied himself. 

The horses looked uncomfortable in the close quarters, it was too cramped for them to be any help and if anything, they would hinder the coming fight. They tried to squeeze themselves into a tighter place so there was more room for Joren and Raen to fight. Arctic Wind nickered softly in worry as Demon Wind faced the door, shuffling in anticipation. 

Raen himself bared his teeth as the footsteps grew louder, crouching down closer to the dungeon floor, body tensed and ready to spring as soon as the person opened the door. His ears were laid back in agitation, tail lashing around absentmindedly. He didn't even bother to speak to the others, his entire being focused on the approaching person and his need to protect the others… mainly his Mistress.

Kel was wavering slightly as she unsheathed her glaive with one hand, cursing silently at their bad luck to have to fight so early on after she just performed the spell to come back to this world. The amount of drain upon her, even if her power was at the greatest that day, was tremendous. 

The sounds of footsteps came closer and closer until finally the door swung open suddenly and Darial strode in, looking at the multitudes of creatures without surprise and only mild interest, "Ah your all here then." His lips twitched as Joren's sword rested upon his throat and only raised a hand in defense, on the wrist dangled the ice blue gem that Kel had seen before. 

Immediately Kel looked towards Joren and shook her head, saying incredulously towards Darial, "Your our contact?!" Immediately she felt foolish and gave a slight frown, watching Darial with an appraising eye, _why didn't I figure this out earlier? I know that Darial has a gem like the elves do, I just forgot about it… But I thought he was on the King of Scanran's side! What is going on…_ Curtly she spoke, "Explain."

Joren kept the tip of his sword at the now discovered elf's throat, ice blue eyes narrowing lightly at Darial, even though he seemed to be their contact, one could not be sure. Beside him, Raen sniffed the air; the hizar's eyes intent. He padded around Darial and looked up at the Kalyrath horses, nodding with them when he finished. 

"Finished hizar?" Darial looked down at Raen bemused, not daring to move his head any slightest way on threat that Joren would slit his throat. Cool green eyes stared at Kel as he dared a light smile, "Lady Mindelan, pleasure to see that your all right after you shifted to this world. As you guessed, I am your contact, Queen Arylanth contacted me via the psy tower and told me that you were coming back, do you know how irritating it is to keep others away from the cell the amount of time you were gone?" His manner was the same as always, crisp and cool, "What the queen failed to tell you was that I am here on a certain mission to help fight against the Great Evil, Scanra is part of that plan."

"Wait… you're an elf?! But what about your ears? And how did you get here?" Kel's voice was getting stronger by the minute, her surprise apparent, "And why did we end up in the dungeon again?!" Consternation layered her voice at her last sentence. 

He gave a wry chuckle, wincing a bit as the tip of the sword pressed deeper towards his throat. Darial gave Joren a mild glare before answering Kel, "Simple illusion magic for my ears, and I am a trusted weapons master, I can go pretty much wherever I want. But considering your talking about how I got into this world… Arylanth gathered a lot of elves to transport me here; they were drained for days afterwards. I am their contact to this world and here to make sure that plan _Trabalia_ goes according to schedule. In answer to your last question, to be able to shift from one point to another, you have to know the Shift sites beforehand, you only knew this one… and so you were transported here. Arylanth didn't inform you of another one because she wanted us to meet."

Kel gave a soft sigh, silently acknowledging that Darial was who he said he was and twisted her head around and looked towards Joren, saying lightly, "I think he's telling the truth." She desperately tried to fight the sensation of wanting to fall asleep, or at least unconscious, especially when she was being supported in Joren's warm arms.

Joren gave a slight nod in agreement, ignoring the fact that he was actually agreeing with Kel for once, "Fine then," he took his sword away from Darial's throat, asking coolly, "What time is it and how do we get away?" He felt Kel waver slightly and adjusted his grip, boosting her up more firmly. 

Raen looked towards Darial steadily, _Darial Earintath, advisor to the queen, I was wondering why we didn't see you in the castle_ The hizar flicked his tail and tilted his head arrogantly, _Hmm, now what is plan Trabalia?_

With a smirk down at Raen, the elf continued on answering the barrage of questions that were fired at him, "It is a couple of candle marks until dawn, if the queen did not tell you of the plan yet, I shall not either." Suddenly he looked at Kel and frowned, "I was planning to get all of you out by Lady Mindelan using her magic, Raen, you know how, teleporting. I had forgotten how tired she would be at the end… but that's where you come in," he gestured towards Joren, "Arylanth told me about your bond and you can use it to give Lady Mindelan enough power for her to transport you all out of here. I shall alert the guards half a candle mark after you leave and tell the king the truth of the matter, and before you ask, yes, the King of Scanra can be trusted." Done with his message he turned around and called over his shoulder as he walked out, "Good luck Mi'lady." 

__

Humph, elves are forever arrogant

Joren felt a touch of a smile ghost on his lips at Demon Wind's comment, inwardly agreeing as he turned around and looked at Raen, "Well then, we're leaving now." He beckoned the horses to him and grabbed a hold of their reigns, "What do I do?" He cast a worried look towards Kel, hardly noticing that he was doing so in the first place. 

The hizar seemed to stare at Joren for a moment before looking at his Mistress with plain worry in his dark blue eyes; _I… shall help as well. Try to gather your energy and channel it towards my Mistress, didn't the elves in that room teach you that much?_

Ignoring the rather half effort insult, Joren just sheathed his sword and gripped both horses reigns tightly, sending a stream of power into Kel. Raen gave a soft growl and his gem glowed a bright silver before loosing his power upon her. 

She let loose a soft grunt as she struggled to combined the powers and transmute it so that she could use them as well, her white gem began to glow furiously and suddenly they disappeared, leaving by an empty dungeon cell. 

~

As soon as they appeared in the middle of the throne room, with what looked like most of the important people and several knights in Tortall and in front of the king and queen, Kel blacked out. As she slid to the floor, Joren caught her and let go of the horse's reigns to hold her up, looking around at the full room with a instant arrogant look upon his face. At the sudden silence that filled the room, Joren forced himself to look at it from their perspective… and wondered why they weren't trying to kill them all yet.

The first person to speak, and it came to no surprise to Joren, was Neal, "What in Mithros name are you _doing_ Stone?!" He seemed to ignore the fact that they popped up out of nowhere, there was some strange black creature by Joren's side, and that they seemed to be wearing strange clothing… all in favor of staring at Joren who had Kel in his arms. 

Immediately Raen snarled deeply, ready to attack at a second's notice, his hackles were raised, long sharp teeth glinting in the mage lights. His ferocity caused several of the knights to draw their swords, which he countered by his gem suddenly glowing a deep silver, tired as he was, he was nowhere as severely drained as his Mistress. His mind-voice was deadly cold as it vibrated around the room, _Touch one hair on my Mistress's or the boy's head and I will make sure that you die_

Several people gasped as the hizar's voice was heard in their head and King Jonathan held up a hand saying calmly, "Put your weapons down… Joren of Stone Mountain, what is the meaning of this?" Beside him, Alanna looked upon the scene with acute interest, Numair and Daine looking avidly on the odd group. 

Daine muttered softly to Numair, "I can't see inside the creatures head, nothing! Even with immortals I can sense some things, at least a presence, but with that creature…" She looked up at Numair, "Did you find out how they got here so quickly?" A soft trill by her side came to her attention and she glanced down at Sky Song who was staring at the hizar. 

With a shake of his head, Numair gazed at Raen, his hands glowing black with blue streaks as he tensed, "No, none of them have the gift… at least I never thought they did. Even with the gift they wouldn't be able to transport themselves instantaneously." 

__

Do you really think you can get passed my mental shields mage? I am Raen of the Eclipse Guardian pack! Bonded to my Mistress Keladry of Mindelan, princess of the Lorynthia elves! No mere human can defeat me There was unmistakably a sneer at the end of his tone, Raen's stance haughty. Suddenly he glanced at Numair, _Try it human mage, and I'll make you eat it_

Joren looked at Raen in a slightly stunned expression, before he said calmly, "Raen, Kel would not appreciate you threatening her…" he gave a sneer towards Neal, "friends." He may be bonded to the girl, but that doesn't mean that he was going to like her friends. He glanced down at Kel in his arms and heaved a soft sigh, shifting her slightly to make her more comfortable, _if anyone ever told me that I'd carry Kel in my arms after she fainted -from something not even my fault- I'd try to kill the person after declaring them insane. _

Neal, Cleon, and Owen all gaped at the scene before them. Okay, sure the black creature and clothes and popping up out of nowhere were surprising, but none of them rivaled to the fact that Joren was acting… tolerable. Well, admirably, he seemed to do it for Kel's benefit, but that's what was so surprising, out of all of them all, Joren had hated Kel the most. Now he's carrying her, calling her by her first name, and calling off the creature from her friend's! …Jeez, did he get hit on the head in Scanra? 

Continuing on blithely, not aware of the other knight's thoughts, Joren spoke fluidly to King Jonathan and Queen Thayet, "We come baring… many, many things to tell you both." _Understatement of the century._ He gave a cool smile around the room, "But we'll discuss it in the morning, I don't understand why you are all up at this ghastly hour, but Kel and I…" he looked at the annoyed hizar and added, "Raen as well, are going to our room now." Joren gave a glance at the horses and spoke, "Demon Wind, Arctic Wind, I think that you can find yourselves into the stable… hmmm," he gave a glance around the room and settle his eyes on Cleon, smirking, "The jester can take you there." 

As Cleon began to sputter out insults at Joren for his continuos quips at him being a jester, the two Kalyrath horses picked their way over calmly, standing near the human with something of an arrogant air. Demon Wind, with something of a crafty look, deliberately shoved Cleon hard with his nose, directing the knight towards the door. Arctic Wind followed at a statelier pace. 

Silence reigned as Joren calmly walked out of the room, Raen at his heels and Kel in his arms. Everyone in the room seemed stunned by the man's sheer tenacity in speaking that way to some of the most decorated people in the realm. As the door shut behind them, silence continued on for several more moments, until a stunned Neal spoke up. 

"Wait a minute, did he say _our_ room?! What the hell happened in Scanra?" Neal gaped at the door, his expression incredulous. Suddenly a thought flashed through his mind and he bolted to the door, muttering to himself, "If he did anything to Kel, I'll kill him…"

Owen scrambled after Neal, calling out after him, "Wait Neal! He'll kill you! I'll be your back up!" _Maybe it is a good thing that Cleon is in the stables or else he would have followed us as well… _Owen shook his head slightly as his body disappeared from the other's sight. 

Alanna looked at the door in slight confusion, finally turning to Jonathan, "Wait… weren't we going to have them brief us when they came back?" Her unique purple eyes looked distinctly amused, not really… well not too much, shocked and surprised. They all _did_ live in _Tortall_ of all places. 

Suddenly Raoul's voice was heard, "Is it me, or did that… black creature, just say that Kel was a _princess of_ _elves?_ He was rubbing his chin lightly in thought, Buri standing next to him grinned slightly. 

"How did they get here is what I want to know!" Numair's voice rang clearly in the room, his dark eyes lit by excitement; "I don't know anyone who can just appear out of nowhere! I wouldn't even think it was possible." By the way he was facing the door, it was clear he wanted to go and find out immediately. 

Daine laid a light hand upon his arm, warm gray eyes looking at him amused while she shook her head slightly, "No, did you see Kel? She was totally exhausted… and besides, I'd like to know what that creature and the horses were, I've never seen animals so intelligent before… those that didn't come from the divine realms anyway." She grinned sheepishly, "I think it's best if we barrage them with questions in the morning. By the way Owen and Neal ran out of here… we might need Neal's father if Joren is annoyed."

Suddenly King Jonathan's voice was heard, since he was in the company of his most trusted friends, he had relaxed greatly, "Don't I get a say in this? I am the king!" He looked slightly disgruntled, though he gave his friends a small smile. 

"You may be their king dear, but your nothing without your subjects," Thayet leaned over and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, winking at the rest in amusement. 

~

Neal burst through Kel's door, being slightly winded from his run from the throne room to Joren's room, finding them not there, he had run to Kel's room next. Being the way he was, and not thinking that anything had changed between the two knights in the short amount of time they were in Scanra, he didn't think that he'd find them in a… compromising situation. To say the least, he was shocked when he found Joren in the process of taking off the still unconscious Kel's outer tunic. Owen, who had arrived shortly after him and had the good sense to go to Kel's room first, gaped at the sight while Neal yelled, "What the hell are you doing Stone?! Taking advantage of Kel now? And while she's unconscious?" 

Joren gave an inaudible groan, glaring at the duo in the doorway, while finishing taking off the tunic and throwing it on a chair. Done with the task, he turned from them and arranged Kel comfortably on her bed, wishing that in ignoring them, they'd get the hint and leave. He muttered under his breath, "Stupid dog," as Jump left Kel's side to greet Neal and Owen. 

"Well?!" Neal seemed to be incensed, Kel was his best friend and he did hate Joren with a passion unrivaled by none except maybe Cleon. Owen stood by his side silently, his perceptive eyes taking note of the rising, growling, Raen. 

Baring his teeth at the impolite intruders, Raen growled softly at them, dark blue eyes narrowing, _Leave this instant, your going to disturb my Mistress and she needs all the sleep she can get_ His hackles raised slowly, his glare nearly rivaling Joren's. 

"Take the damn hint and leave," Joren got straightened in his spot by Kel's side and was fingering an ebony dagger with a glare on his face, "If I was trying to take advantage of her, Raen would have been in the process of attacking me. Now go." He turned away from them and back to Kel.

At the rising threat of the hizar's teeth in their throats, Owen tugged Neal back towards the hall, whispering fiercely in his ear, "Look, I believe Joren for once. I don't think even him would stoop as low as trying to... err… have his way with Kel while she's unconscious. Besides, that creature is going to attack if we don't leave." He gave Raen a nervous glance. At Neal's continued refusal to move from the room, Owen suddenly grabbed the back of his tunic and dragged him out. He called over his shoulder, "Eh, sorry Stone." 

Neal's curses was audible for several more minutes as Owen continued to drag him down the hall. Raen shook his slender head lightly and trotted over to the door, pushing it closed with his nose. He gave Joren a cocky look as he padded back towards the side of the bed; _Mistress has some weird friends_

Joren silently agreed, though he would never admit it aloud, tucking Kel under the blanket while shedding his outer garments as well. "And here I thought you would like them," he stifled a yawn with a hand as he climbed into the bed as well, not thinking twice about what he was doing. 

__

Just because Mistress likes them doesn't mean that I have to Raen's mind voice was slightly annoyed as he laid on the floor, Jump walking over and lying down near him. His dark blue eyes disappeared beneath ebony lids as he shut them. 

A faint smile appeared on Joren's face as he picked up the feeling of contentment from Kel, another one of those things he would never admit to. He called out lazily as he felt Kel snuggle up beside him, "Right, right…" Falling rapidly asleep, he muttered as he closed his eyes, "Shut the mage lights off cat." 

In reply, Raen's gem glowed lightly and the light suddenly disappeared, leaving them in a blanket of darkness, contentment in each heart. 

__

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IceWind: *blinks and smiles* Done, done! ^^;; ooo, btw, I'm making a site… you guys can check it out, maybe leave a message in the guestbook? Hehe url= http://www.sphosting.com/whitewinds 

Raen: *nods agreeably* Go check it out!

~

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Facts:

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Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

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Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

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Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

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Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

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Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

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Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

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Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

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Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a ice-cream. *hands person a ice-cream*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	23. The Phoenix and the Gryphon

Aether Winds

Chapter twenty-three- The Phoenix and the Gryphon

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *smiles and waves* Hey again! 

Raen: *looks around and wags his tail* Yup, chapters coming out slow huh Icey?

IceWind: *sweatdrops* Well ya… but I'm kinda working on 2 other stories as well… No excuse, I know *sighs and hangs head* Oh well, might as well go to the story now. 

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Larzdinn: *large sweatdrop* I'm really sorry if you thought that the story was actually done, I was commenting on the chapter being done. *mock pouts* I don't make you guys wait that long for chapters do I? If you think about it, Kel is bonded to Raen, and then to Joren, so in a roundabout way, Raen is bonded to Joren. Does that make any sense at all? O.o;; Later on that might be important *smirks* So'k if you write long reviews, I like that heh. I agree about Cleon, I was going to put down clown, but then I thought… wait a minute, do they have CLOWNS in Tortall? So I settled upon the word jester because they had to have those lol. 

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Princess Sanidaylene: *cackles* Irrational? NO PERFECTLY SANE! *blinks at the strange looks she's receiving* eh heh… ^^;; Yup, I can pretty much throw anything in the story and have it make sense, *rather smug look* fun. Owen as my backup… well, ^_^;; yes, not very safe. 

Keita: *shrieks* AHH! THAT'S NO FAIR! YOU CANT! *wails and sobs while pointing an accusing finger at her* She has lady knight! …Just oneeeee itty question: do Cleon and Kel stay together *crosses fingers and wishes they wouldn't* lol, and your suggestion… I don't know if Kel would be that glib, but hell, if I can make it fit I will. 

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Kel woke up slowly as sunlight streamed through her window and the familiar chirping of sparrows filled her ears. She yawned and stretched lazily, hitting something with her right arm, _wha?_ She blinked once and turned to face a used-to-be-sleeping-but-was-hit-awake Joren with slight confusion in her eyes, _did I miss something again?_

"Just the arrival back to Tortall," came the drowsy answer from Joren, who was currently stretching like a lithe feline. He blinked blearily in the sunlight and sat up, rubbing his ice blue eyes lightly, his light blond hair tousled from sleep. 

She looked at him, hazel brown eyes widening slightly with realization, before she gave a slight shrug, "Figures this happens on top of everything else… don't read my mind Joren, isn't polite." She gave him a small smirk of her own, flicking pieces of mahogany hair from her eyes. Suddenly realization dawned on her and she looked wildly around her room, "I can't believe we're finally back… we weren't gone long, but it felt like forever to me." 

__

-I agree, not that we missed anything- Joren smirked in amusement as he got up from the bed, getting ready for the probable tedious task of facing everyone in court. He began to throw on clean clothes, shoving Raen with a foot to wake him up.

__

Don't do that boy! Raen jerked awake, blinking his eyes blearily. He must have been exhausted to not have heard Joren and Kel awaken before him. Raen parted his jowls as he yawned, flicking his ears over to Kel and Joren, _Shall we go to the humans then? _Next to him, Jump woke up and jumped on Kel's bed, giving her a light lick in greeting. 

As she chuckled to herself, Kel pushed the dog off of the bed and began to change as well, rubbing her head lightly, "Well, I feel better I suppose. How was everyone last night anyway? Did you explain anything Joren?"

Joren shook his head as he smoothed down his tunic, looking at himself critically in a mirror as he gave her a slow smirk, "I decided to leave before they got on my nerves, I didn't tell them anything. So we may as well and go to the king now." He tilted his head and suddenly spoke once again, "Arctic Wind and Demon Wind are quite happy with the accommodations as well, so that's fine. Shall we go?" Inwardly he ignored his thoughts on how strange this was playing out.

Tilting her head slightly, Kel gave a nod, yawning as she opened the door, and gaped in surprise as three boys (namely Neal, Cleon, and the unfortunate Owen who had been smashed on the bottom) came tumbling over one another. "What in Goddess name are you three doing here?!" She gaped at them for a few moments longer before smoothing over her face.

"Eh, heh…" Owen at least had the decency to look slightly embarrassed, while he tried to shove the older two boys off of him, "Well… we… err…" 

Neal piped in quickly, "We came to save you from Stone's clutches!" Apparently he didn't know how much of an idiot he was acting. He got up quickly and smoothed down his clothes like this was an every day experience. His eyes glared into Joren's cool ones as he growled out, "What did you do to her Stone?"

"Yeah!" Suddenly Cleon's attention switched to Kel and he picked up one of her hands, kissing the back at it as he stared into her eyes, "My dewdrop, light of my life, how are you feeling?" 

"Err…" Kel seemed to be at a lose of words as she stared at Cleon for a moment, _and there once was a time I didn't really mind greatly, but this is a little… bit much._ She tried as gently as she could to yank her hand out of his grasp, but Cleon didn't seem to be letting go. "Cleon, it's… errr, nice to see you again, but could you please let go of my hand?" 

In a fit of annoyance, Joren stepped over to Kel and yanked her hand out of Cleon's grasp, glaring at him, while ignoring Neal as he growled out, "What the fuck are you three doing here?" Animosity sparkled in his eyes, as he swept a gaze over all three boys. 

"This isn't your room! This is Kel's! I could ask you the same thing!" Apparently Neal had more guts then he showed, or he was just suicidal. He fixed a narrow glare at Joren as he stepped closer to him, "I know you're up to something!"

Before Joren could retaliate, with either fists or words, Raen suddenly gave a low, vicious snarl, _I suggest you three leave and find out with the rest of the humans what happened when my Mistress and the boy wasn't here…_ He advanced slowly, his steps purposeful, ivory canines gleaming in the light. 

Owen gave the softest of 'eeps' and grabbed both boys frantically, trying to drag them out of the room before the hizar would start attacking. Surprising what fear does to the body, giving it boosted strength for a short time was one of the things it could do. 

"Let go Owen! I'm not afraid of some overgrown cat!" Neal struggled as Cleon began to curse in a semi-loud voice, his expression irate. 

Ignoring them both, Owen stalked over to the council room, dodging any punches that might be 'accidentally' thrown his way. Their forms disappeared down the corridor, though their voices were still heard. 

"Well… that was strange," Kel looked at Raen and Joren and made one of the most profound comments of her life, "You've done this before haven't you?"

~

As they arrived into the council room, Kel nearly gaped at the amount of important people who had congregated there, even her hero, Alanna, was there. She gripped the edge of her tunic in nervousness as she strove to put her 'lump' face on. Finally she looked towards Jonathan and Thayet, wondering what she should do next as she gave them a bow, Joren following suit soon after her. 

__

You know you don't have to bow to them Mistress Raen held his head regally, glaring coolly at the occupants in the room, especially the three mussed up looking knights in the corner of the room. 

Ignoring the hizar's comment, which had caused some unsettlement in the room once again, she looked towards the monarchs and straightened, speaking in what she hoped was a confident voice, "King Jonathan, we come with important news." She was well aware at the gazes riveted on her form and she self-consciously tucked back a strand of hair away from her eyes. 

Suddenly Numair broke the tenseness of the room by calling out, "How did you get from into the castle like that?" Interest sparkled in his dark eyes as Daine gave an audible sigh next to him. His long black hair seemed a little mussed up, eyes a little bloodshot, most probably from the research he had been conducting throughout most of the night on how the group had appeared. Apparently, he had yet to find out. 

Amusement shone in Jonathan's sapphire eyes as he inclined his head slightly to let Kel answer Numair's question. 

Kel seemed to be at a loss for words, not really knowing how to explain it. So Joren smoothly stepped forwards and began to explain for her, "Magic of course, the only way to get in like that." He gave the mage a cool smirk, eyes fixed on his form, "And we shall explain further if you let us talk."

"Us? Don't drag Kel into it!" Cleon spoke up angrily, looking as if he'd storm over -if only Owen did not have a grip on his clothes- and battle it out with the other knight. "And you shouldn't talk to Numair like that you…"

He was cut off by Kel's curt voice, "Let _us_ talk Cleon and please be quiet." She looked at Numair's stunned face, he had probably not been talked to, like Joren did to him, in a long time… must be disconcerting for the black robed mage. She offered him and Daine an apologetic smile as she looked at the King and Queen. 

"I agree, we need to find out what they learned," Alanna's voice rang out clearly, her strange purple eyes looking at each person in turn before looking back on Kel, Joren, and Raen. 

Finally King Jonathan spoke, his eyes disregarding the previous amusement and taking on a aura of seriousness, "Tell me Lady Keladry, what did you find out that made you and Sir Joren come back to Tortall without my summons? And may I ask what is that creature by your side?" 

Kel began to speak as Joren calmly looked around the room, "That's Raen, a hizar… he's bonded to me," at the confused looks that mirrored the room, Kel fully dove into the telling of their strange tale. She spoke from the start, telling everything that she could about Scanra and how things weren't how they seemed, about their arrest, and about the people in Scanra. As she stopped to take a slight breath, Joren spoke up and continued talking, going on to how they arrived in Medea, Raen, the elves, the gems, and the Great Evil that was in their world now. What they both avoided, or just forgot to mention, was Kel's connection to the elves. 

Silence followed their words, until Neal spoke up tentatively, "Uh, Kel… are you sure you both weren't… poisoned?" 

At his words, Owen hit Neal in the back of his head in exasperation, saying in a slightly annoyed expression, "If they were, they'd be dead remember? Maybe you meant… drugs that produce hallucinations." He tilted his head, saying contemplatively, "Though that wouldn't explain why they have that," he pointed at Raen who growled at being called a 'that', "and how they arrived like they did." 

Joren snapped out, his temper cut short from the scene the other knights made in Kel's rooms, "We did not take any drugs, nor are we hallucinating." He suddenly grasped his ice blue gem and gave a dangerous smirk, "Care to try out your theories and see if they are correct?" He seemed to love the idea because his hand started to glow a pale blue color. 

That of course, caused some panic amongst the trio of knights Joren was focusing on… okay, only Owen was panicking, while Neal and Cleon started shouting out challenges. Alanna was striding forward with Numair, both getting ready for Goddess knows what, while the rest of the people in the room seemed frozen in place as they watched in fascination. 

Kel grumbled softly under her breath and laid an arm on Joren's hand, looking at him with a slightly irate expression, "Oh, yeah, that'll put give us proof, but you might kill some of them in the meantime." He shot her an annoyed look, but his hand stopped glowing and he lowered it from the gem. 

Alanna stopped moving forward and looked at them with a thoughtful look in her purple eyes, "Well… why don't we just go outside for a demonstration then?" She smiled faintly and looked around at the King, "Well Jonathan?"

While slightly surprised with the casual way Alanna said the king's name, Kel was more worried with what to show the others as Jonathan smiled and nodded, and they moved out into the practice yards. 

~

"Show us what you both…" at Raen's audible growl, King Jonathan amended, "three of you can do." They had moved into a secluded practice yard, having made everyone there move to a different one or go back to their rooms, there were advantages to being a king. 

Numair seemed to be barely able to control his excitement, while Daine was chuckling softly at all his excited comments. Sky Song perched herself on the fence and trilled encouragements to the trio in the ring, nearly bouncing along with Numair's energy. Alanna stood by Jonathan and Thayet, conversing with them quietly, while keeping her eyes on Kel. Neal, Owen, and Cleon were watching with something akin to sullen on their faces -Neal and Cleon anyway- while the rest of the people milled around. 

__

-Let's make this into a show shall we?- Joren smirked in Kel's direction as he faced her, his hands glowing a light blue, _-create some damage, and make them regret having to ask for proof-_

For some reason the spectators did not know, Kel suddenly emitted a soft chuckle and a slight nod in agreement, Raen standing calmly by her side, _-I never knew you had this side to you Joren-_ She calmed herself and gathered energy in slow trickles to mask it's presence.

__

-I'm tired of morons and their platitudes, mind you Kel, I'm not going to let you win- and with that statement… unheard by the spectators of course, Joren suddenly lashed out with ice shards that spiraled towards Kel. His ice blue eyes narrowed slightly as they reached Kel… and Raen had erected a barrier in front of her that made the attack splinter off to the sides. "Damn you cat," he growled out at Raen, "Stay out of this."

Raen bristled at Joren, his silver gem glowing clearly as his power effectively deflected the attack,_I-_

He was cut off by Kel who spoke with a small smile, "I can take care of this Raen, go wait by Sky Song or something will you? The dragon kit." That done, she glared at Joren and gathered energy quickly, white color swirled around her as it collected into a ball in front of her. Smiling placidly, she waited until it was the size of a grapefruit and threw it at him.

Joren lazily side stepped the attack, _-is that all you can do Kel?-_ and gave her a brief smirk, getting ready to fire more attacks at her. He lifted a brow at the smug look on her face and shrugged to himself when the ball suddenly slammed into his back and he fell to the ground, tucking his head, and rolling in a controlled tumble. "Fuck! That hurt Mindelan!" 

__

-Did you think I'd roll over and let you win?- She chuckled softly at his fate and barely dodged a torrent of ice that suddenly came rushing at her, retaliating with vines that sprung from seemingly nowhere. The vines started twirling around Joren's ankles, creeping upwards at a fast pace. 

He let loose a soft curse and fire sparkled around his being, his ice blue gem now shining fiercely with red swirls in it. The fire burned the vines, but had no effect on him. Joren tossed Kel a calm look and sent a wave of fire in the shape of a giant bird -a phoenix- towards her, too big for her to dodge around. A red aura sparkled around him, eyes narrowed slightly in concentration. 

Suddenly Kel's white gem broke off of her necklace and floated in front of her, she put her hands to the side of it as the fire raged towards her. Light flared between her hands as a wave of light blue energy, in the form of a gryphon, flared out and crashed into the phoenix, both creatures striving for supremacy over the other. 

Delight sparkled in Kel's eyes as she continued to pour out energy, this was the first time she could let loose with the power like this. It was an even fight, for she was still recovering from the teleportation, and so, it was equal between the two knights. Suddenly both energy animals seemed to rear back and slam into one of another, exploding in a burst of powerful energy. Because of the blast, both Joren and Kel were knocked backwards and fell down, while a section of the fence was ripped up from the ground and scorched. 

"Ow…" Kel muttered softly, rubbing her head and then her back. Her gem floated in front of her and then flew back onto the silver necklace, reattaching itself to it. _-That… was not fun, maybe we should wait for next time when we're both not drained?-_

Joren got up shakily and gave her a light nod, "Fine, too much energy too early on I suppose," he heaved a light sigh, ignoring the confused looks the spectators were tossing among themselves… well the confused mixed with awed looks anyway. 

"Umm… who are you talking to Stone?" Owen gave the knight a confused look; Neal and Cleon beside him were too busy gaping at Kel to add anything. 

"Kel of course you idiot…" Realization dawned in his pale eyes and he muttered gruffly, "We've a mind link, I just answered one of her questions." He dusted off his clothes as if nothing had changed, looking at it with a slightly critical eye. 

"WHAT?!" Neal burst out of his shocked shell and resumed his all time-favored activity, badmouthing Joren, "I knew you did something to her you-"

"Neal!" Kel sighed in exasperation, "Really, neither of us had a choice in it okay? You shouldn't blame it all on Joren." She got up from the ground languidly, ignoring the dust and dirt on her clothes. Finally she fixed her gaze upon Jonathan and Thayet, asking softly, "Do you believe us now?"

Jonathan looked at her for a moment, while Alanna answered for him, "I do," she gave the annoyed king a smug look before turning towards Kel and Joren, her eyes thoughtful, "You'll be useful then against this 'Great Evil' thing…"

"Right, right, now what I want to know," Numair gave a roughish smile towards Kel, "Is if I or any of the other mages could perform magic like you can. Can you teach us?" He gave her his most winning smile, wincing slightly at the elbow Daine shoved into his side and muttering to the wild mage, "Magelet, really, no need for jealousy now."

Daine fixed Numair a frosty look and Sky Song chortled in amusement, "I'm not _jealous_ Numair, what if Kel and Joren don't want to teach you or the other mages?" 

Before they could continue on bickering like a married couple, Joren interrupted smoothly, "No, you can't learn this type of magic, it's elf magic. The only reason why I have it is because I'm bonded to Kel." He gave a slight smirk in the mage's direction. 

Numair looked away from Daine and rested his eyes on Joren, asking inquisitively, "How did the two of you learn so quickly? And why can Keladry of Mindelan learn this type of magic, but not us?" Bafflement was apparent in the inflection in his voice. 

Raen trotted over to Kel's side with long flowing strides, an arrogant tilt to his head. His dark blue gaze swept over the group of people; _Did you not hear me when I spoke before? Humans and their short attention spans… _

__

Hizars and their arrogance, they wouldn't be recognized without it

Joren for some reason had quirked his lips in amusement, feeling slightly gratified for a horse with a similar sense of humor as he, even though others couldn't hear Demon. He leaned against the fence lazily, feeling Kel's embarrassment emanating off her. 

Numair fixed the hizar a cool gaze, speaking calmly, "I'm sorry for being only human, bur your 'Mistress' is as well you know." 

__

My Mistress is approximately 50% elfin and 50% human, and I prefer to think that she acts more like an elf then a human… however annoying elves are Raen's mind voice sounded smug, _ Didn't any of you humans hear me before when I called my Mistress the princess of the Lorynthian elves? _

An audible grown was heard escaping from Kel's mouth and she smacked her hand to her forehead, muttering things under her breath about 'murder' and 'hizars'. She didn't have to look up to imagine the shock looks that liberally covered each person's faces. 

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IceWind: Yay! Finally done with chapter 23! *suddenly sobs* School is starting on Wednesday, that sucks sooo much!

Kaori: *sneers at her and snickers* Rabblites don't go to school! HAHA!

IceWind: *leaps on Kaori and starts to choke her*

Raen: *large sweatdrop, and looks towards the audience* Err… yeah. By the way, most of Icey's website is put up! Yay! Hehe. Right, don't worry people, we're getting to action soon (is getting mighty bored of writing explanations) and I know that the magic scene was a little cheesy.

IceWind: *growls out while strangling Kaori* It was not CHEESY!

Raen: *ignores her and continues* But it's better then nothing! … well, that's all I have to say, bye! 

~

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Facts:

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Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

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Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

__

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

__

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

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Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

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Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

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Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

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Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a pumpkin pie. *hands person a pumpkin pie*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	24. Silent Greetings

Aether Winds

Chapter twenty-four- Silent Greetings

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *sweatdrop* Not only do I have to work on other stories, but THEN I'm taking a class in school called creative writing and I have to write in that… ^^;;

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ThePenMage: *shrieks happily* LURKER! AHAHAHAHA! O.o;; (got it from one of my reviews, people who don't review from like the first 10 chapters but have been reading them (and told me about it) are called it) hehehehe. And I agree about Cleon *innocent grin* I hope I don't get so pissed at him that I do… something… that cannot be, er, reversed. 

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Larzdinn: O.O *says cheerfully* I love long reviews! And thanks for telling me about the part with Cleon and Kel in Lady Knights *pouts* I hoped that she had at least ended up with Dom, eh, better nothing then with Cleon I suppose. ^_^ I don't know if you guys would like the other story that I'm writing, one is an original that I don't post at fanfiction.net I post it at Elfwood… 

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Aric: *blink, blink, blink* Wow… I guess that means you don't like Jon huh? *snickers* SPORK!

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Free2Bme: Tell them? But WOULD they actually tell others as embarrassing as them being bonded? *evil grin* But I'll think about it. Neal and Cleon will NEVER stop insulting Joren… at least for me, mwahahaha. 

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Neal squeaked out, his eyes wide with disbelief, "You know, you really have to stop surprising us like this Kel." He cast a nervous glance towards the hizar, having a healthy sense of self-preservation around him… well unless he was near Joren. His hand raked through his hair as he stared at the girl with ill-disguised disbelief. 

"Me?" Kel's tone had slight traces of indignation, "Not me! Talk to Raen! It isn't all my fault! Next thing you'll know is that he'll tell everyone that Joren and I are bonded as well…" _Goddess… I'm a dolt sometimes… please, oh please let them think that I'm joking… wait, I never joke. Damn it._

In fact, it was Joren's next words which totally crushed her hope that they would think that it was just an off-hand comment, "Damnit Kel, you really put your foot in your mouth didn't you?" His ice blue eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at her, faint stirrings of anger wrapping around him. 

"WHAT?!" Neal seemed to forget about the previous comment of Kel being a princess, jumping on more serious and pressing issues, "You unbond to her right now Stone!" Beside him Cleon was nodding like a marionette and Owen looked as if he would like to crawl under a rock to hide. 

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Idiot humans, they cannot 'unbond' as you say Raen's mind-voice had a hint of a sneer in it, _And so you cannot do anything about it and even if you try it wouldn't work… and I'd be going for your throat_ He flicked his tail haughtily and leveled his gaze at King Jonathan. 

Kel groaned softly, her hazel eyes catching the astonished looks on everyone's face… this would take quite a while to explain to them it seemed. 

~

Kel readied to move out, a faint smile on her face appearing as she felt Arctic Wind stretched out from under her, nearly dancing in place. She cast a glance to where Raen was standing near the castle entrance, a decidedly unhappy expression in his dark blue eyes. Oh well, she couldn't please the hizar every time. She looked back at the small group of four knights with her, calling out powerfully, "Ready to go?!" 

It had been a couple of weeks since they arrived back and Tortall and everything has been going smoothly, well as smoothly as they could get. Her power may be at its all time low, but that wasn't going to stop her from scouting around and doing her duty. After everything that has happened, Kel could still feel a sentiment of uneasiness surrounding herself, Raen, and Joren. Some people openly did not believe in the tale that they told, and some facts were too dangerous to open to the public. 

A faint sigh escaped her lips at the thought, it was true though, some viewed her and Raen with naked suspicion and distrust, and especially with the fact that she was also female and a knight didn't help support her… As well as the fact that Joren, who had once publicly hated her, now was… tolerable around her to say the least. 

Fine, maybe he was acting a little bit more then tolerable lately, but still, he didn't show it much in public. Only in the way he didn't call her 'Mindelan' anymore, instead opting for her nickname, also the fact he didn't seem to try to get her -or anyone close to her- killed, or maybe it was the way they were err… regularly making love at night….

__

Whoo hoo, did she just think that in her head? Kel binked and got lost in her thoughts as she and the other knights began to move out, a faint blush appearing on her face. Ah, figures she just had to get herself embarrassed. Noting that one of the men was looking at her with a curious expression, she smoothed down her face and put on her Yamani 'lump' one. 

Oh it was true, the last bit, but it wasn't as if she and Joren were going to announce it any time soon. It always just sort of… happened, though it wasn't as if it was bad or anything… Ugh, this was getting even more embarrassing. Off the subject then… right, focus on evil monsters, even _strange _monsters.

A faint frown flashed briefly across Kel's blank face as she thought of the growing number of reports that were being sent to the king of strange monsters that were destroying the country side and killing random people. If there was anything she hated, it was things that killed for their own enjoyment. So the king had started to send out groups of knights to scout the land and try to keep the citizens safe from the monsters. 

A faint shudder passed through her body at the thought, for one of the groups evidently _did_ find the monsters, and the results weren't nice… Out of the group of three men, 2 were dead and the other was crippled for life. So Jonathan apparently sent out more men, and Kel started to volunteer, knowing that she would be plenty of help. 

Usually Joren and Raen were with her though, Raen because he was bonded to her and Joren for reasons of his own. For a moment Kel entertained the idea that he was there to support her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind, smiling sadly. They may be getting alone extremely well, by Joren's standards anyway, but Joren was still Joren and wouldn't show a trace of emotion that was positive towards her unless they were alone. 

Today though, she was going out alone, unless you count the other four men of course. A message had come from Darial and Joren was back at the castle to try to figure out the cryptic message the elf had sent. She had made Raen stay with Joren because he knew more about elves and Medea then anyone else, being that he _had_ lived there. The hizar had been most unhappy with the fact, but trusted Kel not to get herself killed. 

__

Maybe we won't even meet anything… I haven't met one of the monsters as of yet. She rolled her shoulders back, stretching the muscles languidly as she let Arctic Wind go wherever the Kalyrath horse wanted. It was nice having a horse that seemed to understand your every need, that moved to accommodate you, and could take care of itself when the need arose. She patted the milky white mare's neck lightly, the group moving deeper and deeper into the forest. 

They didn't even know what the supposed monsters looked like, for the only knight to come back seemed to have lost his mind in the process of being crippled, and anyone else who might of seen them had been killed. But they all knew that it was some sort of monster since humans nor any regular animal could have made the large slashes in people's bodies, could not have left some people half frozen… it was terrible. 

Hazel eyes scanned her surroundings, alert still even when she was thinking… 

And they couldn't use magic to scan out the creatures for there seemed to be some sort of interference, causing them to spy upon little rabbits and harmless deer, nothing terrifying there. It was frustrating since she always felt as if magic could bail her out of anything and she couldn't even bring up a _picture_ of the monsters. 

Thinking of magic always seemed to turn her thoughts towards Numair, Daine, and the elves. Numair was understandably slightly jealous of the powers she and Joren seemed to have, but was fascinated at the same time, always trying to get one of them to stop whatever they were doing and become a live experiment. Really though, if she and him did have a mage battle it would be a close one and she really didn't know who would win. She may have more power, but Numair had more skill and time implementing magic.

Daine seemed to tolerate the live experiments until she saw that Joren or Kel were getting annoyed and then she happily made a little 'diversion' for the black robed mage, letting them get away. That was always amusing to watch, Numair getting flustered by everything Daine was doing. 

__

I miss Arylanth… It had only been a couple of weeks, two and a half to be exact, and Kel was already missing the elf queen who never seemed to quit calling her 'Auntie', however amusing or irritating that was. For a moment she wondered what the elves were doing, knowing that they had more time to prepare for war since time moved differently… no wait, that was right. Kel heaved a mental sigh, the war was in _this_ world and the elves couldn't help at all except by sending one or two of them here.

Idly she wondered if there was a way to transport them all here, but even she got extremely tired transporting between worlds, and the elves had to use up a lot of energy just for Darial to come to Scanra. Well, that blew that idea out of the water. 

Suddenly she shook out of her thoughts and glanced at the other four knights, all who seemed rather bored, yet managed to look alert at the same time. She knew none of them, and for a moment she wondered if that was good or bad. Eh, it didn't matter much to her. Arctic Wind nickered softly as the horse suddenly plunged through some brush, running quickly towards a small clearing with a cliff soaring up ahead. 

"What? Arctic!" Kel pulled back at the reigns lightly, trying to slow down the horse, confusion flaring in her mind, a Kalyrath horse shouldn't just start doing this! Behind her, the other four knights followed quickly, not knowing what was going on, but unwilling to leave Kel behind. _This is one of those times I wish I had Joren's ability to talk to my mount…_

As soon as Arctic reached the clearing, the horse whirled around and backed up slowly, her backside facing a large cliff. The other knights slowed down and approached Kel and Arctic, one man by the name of Taylor calling out, "What's wrong? I thought that horse of yours doesn't bolt or do things like regular horses!" Apparently tales of the horse's strange behaviors have been swarming the castle. 

Kel just gave him a look of bewilderment; about to lift her shoulders in a shrug until a sound of footsteps reached her ears. Immediately she motioned to the other knights shouting out orders, "Back against the cliff! They're coming! Bring out your bows, fire upon command!" With that, she lifted her own bow and set an arrow resolutely against it, pointing towards where the sounds were coming from. 

Confusion flashed through all of the men's eyes, but they scrambled to obey her commands until all of their backs were against the cliff. Each one took out a bow and arrow; swords ready at their sides, determination in each and everyone of their eyes. 

The sound of crashing feet was now audible to the human's ears and they shifted uneasily, waiting until they see their prey spring out from the brush. _Their _prey? From what they have heard, it may just be that they _themselves_ were the prey, and that thought alone was distinctly unsettling. Each knight looked grim, their eyes narrowed in concentration as they waited silently.

Suddenly the monsters appeared… and their appearance alone made the knights pause and scramble to shoot at them. Not only were they terrifying, but they were down right ugly in appearance as well. There was a swarm of them, as soon as you spotted one; it melted into the crowd of the others. It was impossible to just count them all for they kept moving and blending with each other. 

Kel got a clear picture of it when one leapt over and clamped it's huge jaws upon Taylors' horse's leg, an audible snap heard when the horse gave a shrill scream and fell down. Arrows seemed to be of little use, the creature seemed to ignore the multiple shafts that dotted its large ungainly body. 

It was of a mottled green and blue color; its six eyes were glowing slits of yellow. A quadruped creature, it stood tall on its four legs. What seemed to be tentacles were attached to both sides of its neck, long and slimy looking. The creature had long webbed feet, and gill slits on its side. A bulky creature, it seemed more suited for water then for land. Its head was small and slightly blunt, it's tail long and finned, the edges of the fin looking razor sharp. Long serrated teeth angled inwards, more for tearing and slashing then for holding. 

A curse emerged from Taylor's throat as he leapt off his fallen steed, rolling and unsheathing his blade. A wild, desperate look entered his eyes as he brought his blade down on the creature's side, its edge sinking in deeply. 

The creature gave a strange sort of roar and it's jaws clamped onto Taylor's throat, crimson blood spraying out as the creature hit the jugular, effectively killing the man. Kel gave a cry of dismay and her sword slammed down deeply into the creature's chest, her fear making her movements even more powerful. She continued pressing down, striving to kill the creature as black blood sprayed out all over her. It burned; the blood was like acid, like spidrens' fluid, it began to eat away at her flesh.

"Stay in a group!" Her words seemed lost in the din of battle, Arctic reared and slammed her powerful hooves into the side of one of the things, but that only made it lose its balance. The other men seemed to hear her and pressed together, faces grim in the appearance of death. 

No matter what they did, the creatures seemed to keep coming. One by one each man fell, his dying screams echoing in Kel's head. Her magic could do nothing at a time like this, she was too weak, and it took too long in this type of state. Her sword was lost somewhere and she drew out her glaive, hacking away at the creatures furiously. 

Sharp pain lanced through her left arm, her shield had been long lost, as a pair of claws caught her arm, sinking deeply into the muscle. Arctic was lathered in sweat, the horse's movements becoming more and more frantic as she bit and kicked. Kel whirled around and her glaive came down on the creature's head, becoming even more drenched in the black acid blood… but she had long forgotten about pain, her attention fixed solely on the adrenaline rush and her need to defeat her enemies. 

One man's neck snapped cruelly as a tentacle had fixed around his head, jerking it sideways viciously. Bile rose up in Kel's throat at the sight, but she strove to keep fighting, her limbs feeling heavier with each stroke she made. Suddenly she was aware that she was all alone, with the exception of Arctic, all the other men dead. 

Fear flashed through her hazel eyes as she signaled Arctic to bolt and try to escape; there was no good in being heroic if you die in the meanwhile. But the creatures seemed to keep up with even the Kalyrath horses great stamina, speed, and agility, as surprising it may seem. Suddenly she was aware of the streams of ice that the creatures were shooting at her and she gasped softly in surprise, urging the already straining Arctic to greater speeds. 

All of a sudden a rope flashed out and looped around Arctic's neck, stopping the horse in mid-stride as she squealed loudly in panic. It cut off her breathing, and no matter how much she threw up her head and struggled, the rope did not slacken and she was held fast. 

Kel tried to cut off the rope, but before she could do anything, something heavy slammed into the back of her neck and she blanked out…

~

Joren's head jerked up as Kel's pain and suddenly disappearance from his mind made itself known. He looked around wildly, while Raen had bolted to his feet and gave a mournful howl, the hizar's dark blue eyes frantic. 

"…What?" Jonathan looked towards the duo with surprise, confusion flashing across his handsome face, as Numair looked thoughtful. "Sir Stone, what is wrong?" He leaned forward in worry, wondering what made Joren and Raen look so upset. 

"Pain, disappearance, WHY CAN'T I FEEL HER?" Joren leapt up from his chair and suddenly froze, his eyes closing. His clenched fists suddenly slackened and he slumped over, falling to the floor. Next to him, Raen was also down, the hizar prone body splayed across the floor. 

Silence greeted their forms. 

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IceWind: *large sweatdrop* Whoo hoo, if THAT isn't a cliff hanger, I don't know what is. 

Raen: *snorts* I'm UNCONSCIOUS… *makes a face*

IceWind: *remarks cheerfully* Aww, don't worry. Btw, I know this chapter is kinda shorter then my regular ones… *cringes* But be happy that I got it out, because I've been extremely busy with my other stories, school, and social life. 

Kaori: *chirps up annoyingly* What social life?

IceWind: *hangs head and sniffs* Your right, I DON'T have any… *large sweatdrop*

Raen: *blinks and snickers to himself* 

IceWind: *growls out at Kaori and ignores her* Well, I have nothing else to say, so see ya till next time!

~

****

Facts:

__

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

__

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

__

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

__

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

__

Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

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Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

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Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

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Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get a pumpkin pie. *hands person a pumpkin pie*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!


	25. In the Face of Danger

Aether Winds

Chapter twenty-five- In the Face of Danger

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine.This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *twitches* You don't have to tell me how late this is… I KNOW how late this is and I'm terribly sorry. If you want, one of you can blow up my school and then I'd be able to write all day long! ^^;

**Sir Lady Katherine of Valdez**: *grins* What do you think? Kel got knocked unconscious *whistles innocently*

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Aric: A SPIFE? NOOOOO BLASPHAMY! How can you turn away from the SPORK? O.o; hehe. 

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NiceDay: lol, Joren could only speak to Demon Wind, and Demon Wind hears from Arctic Wind. But Arctic was understandably too busy to call for help, don't you think? 

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Felix: hehe, this story goes on until I end it. ^^; That's all I can tell you right now. I don't know anything about a sequel, if I get a plot idea, and it fits my story line, then maybe.

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Xelena: *bows* Then I have done my job and made all of your lives miserable! *evil cackle. Kaori hits her. She sweatdrops* 

**Princess Sanidaylene****: ***grins* I know that was overly dramatic, but every once in a while a person has to do some really weird scene like that… (don't ask) And of course Joren was upset! Ever since they err.. *coughs* did it… they have been bonded and Kel has been in the back of his mind. What would you feel like if part of your mind was taken away? *scary thought hehe*

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ThePenMage: Cleon dies! WHOO HOO! ^^; Okay, yes, I'm going to somehow make him die, unless I can't. o.o; what a scary thought, having no control over your own story *sobs*

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Jarna Hill: *cuddles the unconscious Raen and snickers* 

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Charlotte: *pause* I KNEW I forgot something! Wait! No! I had it all planned out! *evil grin* 

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"What… happened?" Kel's eyes blinked open blearily as she awakened slowly, thoughts a jumbled mess. Suddenly images of what had happened assaulted her and she jerked awake, looking around frantically. As she tried to move, something stopped her within her tracks and she looked down, eyeing the chains holding her to the stone wall. "Where am I?" 

"I… can't feel them! Where are they!" At first she had known something was terribly wrong, but… not something like this. It was bad enough that she was captured, but she couldn't… feel Joren or Raen, her constant companions ever since she started this crazy quest. The constant familiar presence in the back of her mind, the warmth she felt from the other two… it was all gone.

She struggled fruitlessly against her chains, muttering softly, "No, no, no, no…" Muscles strained against the rigid metal, feeling it dig into her skin as she continued to struggle, knowing somewhere in her mind that she couldn't escape and that she would end up with several cuts. _I don't care… I need to find them again! Can't be left alone again…_

"Yes…" a silky dark voice vibrated through the dimly lit cavern and a shape appeared slowly, crimson eyes gleaming in the faint light. A figure appeared, dark hair, crimson eyes, pale skin… and a maniacal smile upon his face. He walked up slowly towards Kel, one of the creatures who had helped to capture her trotting at his heels. 

The creature was even more ugly when not moving, its tentacles waved in the air lightly, blood lust clear in it's yellow eyes. Its mouth opened slightly, revealing rows and rows of jagged teeth, its thin tongue flicking out a bit before it pulled it back in. 

Kel glared at the creature with a look of clear disgust, faint beginnings of fear in her hazel eyes. She hissed softly at the man, "What are you going to do with me? What happened to Arctic?!" Concern now dominated her thoughts for the mare, what had happened to her? She kept a steady gaze at the man before inexplicably she turned away, as if she couldn't look anymore.

"You're actually able to look into my eyes for a short while… impressive mortal," the man gave a soft chuckle, quite unsuited for his supposed insane personality that Kel gave him the instant she saw him. He inspected her for a bit, crooning softly, "Don't worry about the horse, she's not dead… yet." A faint smile appeared on his mouth, "And you my dear halfling, I have a great number of plans for you." 

She stilled in her chains, _halfling? Mortal? Goddess no…_ Kel jerked her head back up onto the figure, trying to keep a steady eye upon it, determination shining clearly in her eyes, "What sort of plans? And who are you?!" Who was he exactly? What did he want with her? A faint inkling of suspicion lodged in her mind, one she feared yet couldn't dispel. Her eyes turned downwards again, as if they couldn't handle looking at him directly.

He quickly walked in front of her, and a delicate hand reached out before it grabbed her chin and forced her to look up onto in eyes. His delicate statue belied his strength and he was able to force her without any problems at all, a faint sneer playing upon his lips as he whispered to her, "And who do you think I am?"

Try as she may, Kel couldn't jerk out of his grip, she could hardly summon enough strength to turn her head slightly to the side. Determination not to show any fear was etched in her face as she muttered, "That god… the 'Great Evil' as the elves call you... stupid name if you ask me." She managed to place a tremulous smirk upon her face, an air of unconcern around her.

Suddenly the man let go and backhanded her across the face, the force as if she had been hit with a sledgehammer. The side of Kel's head slammed into the stone wall and she saw the beginnings of darkness in her vision. Blood welled up and trickled down the side of her face, but she disregarded it as she struggled back into full wakefulness and muttered, "Damn you."

"I already am, halfling." A vicious smile lighted up the man's face, "And call me Tonshi… feel privileged, I don't allow many to call me that. Though I much prefer it to 'Great Evil', it sounds so much better. Do you not think so?" He glanced down at his body before continuing on, "Humans are so frail, but I doubt you can handle my true form." 

Kel remained mute and continued to look to the side of the man, it was just so _hard_ to look at him directly for a prolonged period of time… especially if it's into his eyes. Finally she spoke, her voice low and angry, "And you were the one who captured Arctic Wind and me?" 

Tonshi fixed on Kel a considering look before a slow smile made its way onto his face, "No, of course not. I do not concern myself with the grunt work… I leave others for that. No, I just ordered your capture my sweet halfling. I need your power, more like want it I suppose." A feigned thoughtful look entered his eyes as he tapped a slender finger against his chin, "And afterwards I'll give you to one of my loyal followers."

She snarled and spit at him, eyes defiant. _He's going to _give_ me to one of his followers? I think not!_ _My power… if I could summon enough strength, how could I forget about my gem?_ Silently Kel 'reached' for her mage strength, willing it to fill her and later free her. _Wha?_ Why wasn't it working? She could feel her power, but it was as if it was hovering just out of her reach. Unbeknownst to her, she spoke out loud softly, "I don't understand." 

Silently, deliberately, Tonshi wiped away the spit as if it wasn't even there, an amused look touching his crimson eyes. His voice was continuously mocking when he spoke, "My dear, must you try to understand everything?" At her cold look he gave a mock sigh and continued, "If you need to know, I have blocked your powers from you… your mind link to the others, even your mare's link to the other horse. It was ridiculously easy since you were at the low point of your powers… not very smart to leave the castle in that state. 

Kel made a movement as if to lunge at him, but was stopped short by the chains, her eyes blazing as she snarled out, "Bastard!"

"No, no! I am no bastard… you are closer to being a bastard then I, my dear halfling." He grinned roguishly at her, "How can I be one when I haven't any parents?" Suddenly he tossed a look to the mouth of the cavern and a smirk appeared, "Why don't you meet the one who captured you? You're lucky he has taken an interest in you or else you would have died after I have taken your powers…" Suddenly he stopped speaking and a cruel look appeared in his eyes, "Or maybe I'll ask him to share you later… there isn't anything he would deny me." 

Silently Kel stared him down before she was forced to wrench her eyes away once again, cursing her luck. _How am I going to escape? It doesn't seem possible…_ She watched Tonshi, who was looking at the mouth of the cave, and saw another figure start walking towards her. Eyes grew wide as her mouth hanged open slightly in shock; quickly she regained her composure as she whispered, "Radock." 

The man smiled pleasantly at Kel, dipping his head slightly, "Well Sir Mindelan… pleasure to see you again." His dark blue eyes roamed her form before they came to a halt onto her white tear shaped gem, "I had my suspicions… but who would have thought that _you_ were the one?" 

"You're the one?!" 

"Of course… who else could it be? Did you think it was Darial at first? I think not…" Radock smirked nastily at her, "He isn't smart enough for that. Now, let's change topics into a more pleasant area…" he walked closer, bowing low towards Tonshi (who looked amused and inclined his head to let him go on), before he stopped directly in front of Kel. "You look as lovely as ever."

She bristled at him and locked eyes, noting with some distant triumph that she didn't have the problem of looking at him as she did with Tonshi, "And you are forever the self-centered pig!" Once again her head slammed into a wall, pain exploding in her mind as she shook it slightly to clear her vision. She looked back up to the glaring Radock before saying tauntingly; "Can't take insults can you? You and your master are the same."

Just as Radock was about to hit her again, Tonshi looked directly at him and the other man cowered away. Crimson eyes looked at Kel before he said softly, "You are not to insult one of us again." As he watched Kel open his mouth, he didn't speak, but rather kept watching with a triumphant look.

"…" Kel couldn't speak the words, defiantly scathing and quite inappropriate, to either of them. Eyes widened slightly in shock and she trembled lightly as she tried again, no insults this time, "What did you do?"

"Have you forgotten of who you speak towards?" Tonshi smiled darkly at her, his gaze causing her to shrink down slightly. "If you were intelligent, you would understand that gods are ones with more powers than ordinary mortals, keep that in mind halfling." His glanced flickered towards Radock -who didn't seem to be able to look fully at him for more than a second- and he spoke again, "What is the status of Takashi and the troops?" 

__

Takashi? Kel's interest sharpened at that name and she listened in intently. _So he is in on this as well… I should have known that! His 'master' must have been Tonshi… what I fix I am in._

"Why you favor that fool…" Radock muttered softly to himself before speaking in a louder tone, "He is fine, they shall be coming here soon from Medea." His gaze darted towards Kel and he spoke to his master curiously, "Should we be saying this in front of the girl, master?" 

Apparently Tonshi heard Radock's first comment as well because his lips tightened slightly as he spoke harshly, "I recruited Takashi before you, remember that Radock! You may be favored above others, but Takashi is of a higher rank than you are!" At Radock's cowed look, the god continued on smoothly, "And the girl can't do anything. She's trapped and her mind speech as been blocked off." 

Kel sighed and silently acknowledged that fact herself. What good was it that she heard the information now, but couldn't relay it to anyone? She had also been stripped of her mare and her weapons… well except for the Silver Falcon. That was still hidden inside her tunic, she was sure that Radock only took off the visible weapons, what a fool he was. Or was it that she was the fool? It was something to ponder over since it seemed as if she would spend a considerable amount of time here. 

What she was really wondering about was how was Takashi coming here? It took so much power to transport one person and Radock had been talking about Takeshi and _troops…_ Goddess… they were planning an invasion and no one knew about it! 

~

Joren awoke slowly, finding himself swathed in blankets on a comfortable bed. Ice blue eyes looked around confusedly before he ran a hand through his mussed up blonde hair. Finally he spoke, his voice slightly raspy, "What in Mithros name happened?" 

"That's what I would like to know! That _creature_ won't give us any answers! All he talks about was how he had to get to Kel! Where is our daughter?!" Suddenly looming in front of Joren's face was the angry face of Baron Piers of Mindelan, with the worried Ilane behind him. 

"Mithros…" Joren groaned and almost buried himself back into the pillows on the bed before deciding that it would bad for his image. He shook his sleep fogged mind awake once more and suddenly what happened hit him once again and he closed his eyes, "Oh damn…" _Where is she?_ Silently Joren quested out for Kel but discovered nothing but emptiness where her presence had once been. His voice suddenly barked out, startling the two worried parents, "Cat! Can you sense her?"

The hizar had been currently pacing the room; his mouth lifted slightly in a snarl, sharp teeth glinting in the candle's flickering lights. He stopped when he heard Joren's voice and looked at him for a brief second, dark blue eyes holding rage and sadness, _No boy… they blocked her… she _can't_ be dead or else you or I would have felt it. You would die if she did_

"Fuck!" Joren threw off the sheets and struggled into his clothes, eyes determined, "Any ideas on what to do now?" Both of them seemed to forget about Kel's Tortallian parents, each one wrapped up in their own thoughts. 

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No… no idea at all! This wasn't supposed to happen! I am supposed to be with her! Not all alone again… Raen suddenly slashed viciously at the door, leaving long deep tears into the wood, venting his rage out on inanimate objects. 

"WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?!" Pier's voice boomed through the room, when he was sure that he had both of their attention, his voice became softer, but still firm, "Neal was all for gutting you two and leaving you for the storm wings, all I want is my daughter back… where is she?" 

Ilane wrung her hands lightly, trying to maintain an aura of composure as she spoke softly, placing a hand upon her husband's arm to comfort him, "We need to know…" Behind her, Lalasa's head peeked through the door, her own eyes worried as she whisked out of the room, evidently heading towards the others to tell them that Raen and Joren were awake. 

Joren turned towards the parents, his eyes cold and dispassionate as he asked coolly, "You do know that she isn't your biological daughter?" Yes, definitely cruel and cold… but he cared not at this point. _We have to find Kel… damn it, how are we going to accomplish things without her?_ He refused to think about what _he_ would do without her, keeping his mind focused. 

Quietly Pier's looked at him before he spoke softly, "Yes, the others told us before we came into your room… I don't know if I could believe it, but since everyone else seems to…" he trailed off as if he couldn't speak anymore.

Instead, Ilane filled in for him, her eyes calm and resolute, "She'll always be our daughter, maybe not biologically, but we shall always think of her as ours. We were the ones who raised and loved her, it is only fair." 

__

That is just I suppose… all eyes snapped to the hizar's form as Raen finally stopped pacing, _But that does not concern me now. I need to find my Mistress! Coming boy?_ with that, the door blew opened and Raen bounded out, his strides swift and graceful. 

Without a backward look towards Piers or Ilane, Joren bolted after the hizar, eyes narrowed slightly in determination. He muttered something about impatient hizars, but didn't seem to mind following Raen too much. He caught up with Raen suddenly, and glanced down at the hizar, knowing full well that Raen could out run him any time. 

Raen just flicked an ear towards him, his pace at a lope as he went towards the main gates, ignoring everyone who stopped to look at them both in surprise, _Any ideas? We can't find my Mistress blind like this…_

"Finally sense comes from you," Joren smiled tightly, but it didn't seem to reach his eyes, a thoughtful look stealing over his face before he spoke again, "Not a fucking clue. Before I had that link to Kel, but she's gone…" 

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I know, it is the same for me as well Raen suddenly stopped as and veered towards the thrown room instead of the main gates, his pace picking up speed. An intent look flared in his dark blue eyes as he ran, going faster and faster with each stride.

"You're going the wrong way!" but Joren ran after him, hair whipping around his head as he ran into the thrown room -which had been thrown open when the hizar reached it-. He suddenly stopped moving and stared, eyes widened slightly, "What?"

"Oh, Joren… how nice of you to join us. I trust you know our guests?" King Jonathan inclined his head towards him and Raen, sapphire eyes serious. He motioned to the newcomers, watching the rest of his court shift nervously around.

Arylanth smiled pleasantly towards Joren and Raen, her eyes brightening. Behind her were scores of elves and groups of hizars, "Hello you two… we just arrived. Do you know where Auntie is?" 

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IceWind: *grins happily* Done with the chapter! YAY! Took me long enough ne? Well, I do have my creative writing stuff to do as well… also my other stories, you guys understand right? *sweatdrop*

Raen: *grumbles to himself*

IceWind: *grins roguishly at him and whispers to the audience* He's unhappy that he got knocked out earlier, don't mind him! Did you guys like THIS cliffhanger? *innocent look* Yeah, I do believe that I'm getting better and better at them!

Kaori: *sneers* Or you _think_ you are and you're really getting worse.

IceWind: *snarls at the rabblite and tackles her. Gets in a huge fight* 

Raen: *sighs and speaks mournfully* Oh well, nothing else to say I suppose. See all of you guys next time!

~

*Updated*

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Facts:

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Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

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Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

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Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

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Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

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Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

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Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

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Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

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Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

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Carzo: Vicious, mainly amphibious creatures that lived in the world of Medea before being brought to Tortall by the Great Evil -or Tonshi-. They are of a mottled green and blue color, with six yellow eyes. They stand at around a tigers' height at the shoulder with two tentacles on the side of their small and slightly blunt head. Carzo have long webbed feet -strangely able to run quickly still on land- and gill slits on the side of their body. It has a long, thin tail, sharp, which could cut through a multitude of things, the least of which is flesh. They have long, jagged, serrated teeth, made for tearing and ripping. They usually live in pods of about five, and they move so quickly together that it is hard to site one and focus upon it because it then drops back and blends back into the pod. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get some candy corn. *hands person some candy corn*


	26. And So War Rages

Aether Winds

Chapter twenty-six- And So War Rages

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine._ This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol._

IceWind: Umm… sorry? -.-; 

Morgaine le Fay: *giggles* Is anyone important going to die? Maybe, maybe not. *winks* Depends on my mood… who I dislike. 

DragonShimmer: *smirks* I had that Radock thing planned out from the start. ^__^; I did think it was rather brilliant (lol joking) though I did think that I left lots of clues so that everyone would know what/who he was… I guess I was mistaken (yay! Or it is an aww? Hehe) 

ThePenMage: No more cliffhangers? ACK! How could you SAY such a thing? Lol, me tries… no promises though ^^; 

Xelena: *winks* You'll find out in this chapter

Shakiya: *large sweatdrop* Sorry? I know this is late as well but... well... *twitch* I have so much stuff going on right now. 

Lady Sandrilene: *grins* Sure I'll go read your story. I haven't really read any Tamora Pierce fics actually, mainly Harry Potter and whatever anime has caught my attention. ^^ I don't read Circle fics even if I do read Tamora Pierce, preferring the Tortall ones, but I'll be sure to read the story and review.

Tbiris: *looks amused* Didn't you see my explanation for a rabblite in one of my author notes in one of the first chapters? ^^; You'll find out how Kel escapes… or IF she escapes ^.~ soon. Err… and Kel can't talk with Arctic though Demon could talk to Joren, she doesn't have the ability, hehe. 

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

"Where's Auntie?" Arylanth's curious eyes glanced around the room once again, finally resting upon Joren's and Raen's shocked forms. She absentmindedly twirled strands of silvery-gold hair around her slender fingers, her hazel gaze bright and inquiring. Beside her Elladon stood, his form wary, hand hovering over his blade's hilt. He seemed concerned for some reason, perhaps it was all well and good that he was. 

Joren looked at the elf queen, his gaze darting around her and towards King Jonathon and the others who were all standing there with confused expressions on their faces. He finally looked back at her and sighed softly, shutting his eyes for a moment before opening them, showing hard, ice blue eyes that showed nothing and will show nothing. 

_She… got captured. I failed, I'm a failure… I should be punished Raen slumped over, his form shaking. Now that the elves were here, startling him out of his vengeful rage, he seemed to lose all meaning to go on, his anger filtering out of him quickly, leaving him cold and trembling. The hizars behind Arylanth seemed to freeze, their collective eyes looking at him with disbelief, some with anger, others with sympathy. _

Silence reigned in the throne room, Arylanth stepped back and covered her mouth with her hand, eyes widened with shock. Before any more sand was made, Joren stepped towards the hizar, an angry expression flashing briefly in his eyes before it turned cold once again, "Shut up you stupid cat. She isn't dead yet, I would not fucking care if you beat yourself up after we get her back, but Goddess help you if you collapse on me now." He placed a hand upon his sword in threat towards Raen, his eyes cold and emotionless, his body as if a perfect ice statue. 

"Joren of Stone Mountain!" Jonathon's voice rang out finally, commanding and imperious. "That was uncalled for! Even in times as trying as these." His sapphire blue eyes flared with anger and strain towards the young man who stood in front of the elf queen.

"I could care less." Joren's toneless voice stunned the room, his gaze not even flickering to meet his kings'. He stared at Raen, a cold fury emanating from him that steadily rose as the hizar remained quiet and would not speak. Finally he spoke in simple, clipped tones, "Then I shall leave you behind." With that he turned around and began to walk away, his steps calm and purposeful.

"You bastard!" Cleon shoved his way through the crowd and emerged in Joren's path, his anger showing clearly across his face. Once again he repeated his words, adding little variation, "You fucking bastard!" He clenched his fists and snarled out, "Do you think that you're the only one hurting? Get off your high horse and see that we're all hurting as well! We miss Kel and we want to get her back, you aren't the only one!" 

Suddenly Arylanth gave a small whimper and stepped back, closing her eyes briefly as she struggled to maintain her composure. She felt a light pressure against her back and opened her eyes to see Elladon hug her from behind. Yes, she had only known Kel for a short while, but in that time she had grown very fond of her aunt, and truly believed in her. Now Kel was gone… what would they do now? Did they come here for nothing? 

The room seemed to dropped a couple of degrees… no it _did drop about ten degrees, as Joren stopped his silent movements and looked at Cleon with calculating eyes. His gem seemed to glow a brilliant ice blue with his surmounting rage, though none of it appeared in his features, the only sign of it was the growing coldness in the area. Finally he spoke, his voice deadly soft and icy, "What the hell do you know Kennan? She literally was the other half of my __soul. Don't give me any shit of how you are feeling, because you do not know how __I'm feeling." _

With smooth movements, Joren suddenly unsheathed his sword and held the tip of it at Cleon's neck, eyes still the cold, icy, fields that they were. He spoke on in his soft voice, commanding the other with simple words, "Get out of my way before I make you get out of my way." 

"Stop!" Aylanth's voice rang out, her face full of rage and sorrow. She leaned against Elladon, her movements contradicting the strength set in her face and in her voice. She drew strength from him, and it was enough. "We may be able to help you, Joren! Just let us! I have a great stake in this as well, she was my aunt even though I hardly knew her." Her tone faltered and grew softer as Joren turned his icy glare towards her, "Please…" 

"Damnit Stone!" Suddenly Neal was there as well, flanked by Owen. His usually merry eyes were somber and serious, his countenance now one as a knight of Tortall going on a serious mission. "The elf queen is right! Kel is my best friend and no god or whatever the 'great evil' is, is going to take her away from me! Don't kill Cleon…" suddenly he glared at Joren, "What good is it if he dies? What if we need him?" 

Cleon was quiet, his eyes pinned onto Joren's face, not daring to move or speak in fear of having Joren slit his throat. The other seemed to not even listen to any of the words that were being thrown at him, rather looking steadily at Cleon, his swords tip still lying at the base of the throat. Suddenly he withdrew the sword and sheathed it once again, still emotionless, before he turned towards the others and said coolly, "You have the remainder of this day to help, if you cannot then I will leave at dawn's first light." 

Visibly Arylanth relaxed, her form becoming less rigid as she gave an understanding nod towards him. "Well then, can you please raise the temperature in the room? It's getting a little chilly." Her tone was mild as she watched Joren and almost instantly the room was back at its regular temperature, Joren stalking back over to her. Finally she turned her gaze down towards the ebony form that lay forlornly on the ground, the hizar's eyes closed still, nothing showing that Raen had even noticed what had went on around him. "And how about you, Raen of the Eclipse Guardian Pack,  sole remaining member of the noble group? Will you give up so easily?"

Raen moved an ear listlessly, ignoring the growls coming from the other hizars assembled, the grave eyes pinned upon his nearly unmoving form. He didn't answer, he wouldn't answer, now caught up in a wellspring of despair and loneliness. Before he had his vengeance to support him, to keep his mind off of the despair he felt creeping up there. He knew that  his actions seemed drastic now, so very different from his single-mindedness from before… but he couldn't do anything about it, he didn't want to.

_You! Are you just going to stay there while your bonded__ is in harms way?! How dare someone from your pack, especially the alpha, act in such a horrendous way! Your ancestors must be rolling in their graves A slim hizar picked its way over, her paws dainty and her manner fierce. Dark purple eyes and a light purple gem signified that she was a psy hizar, and they were reputed to be extremely arrogant and bossy as well. She held her stance before Raen proudly, eyes looking with disdain over his form, the rest of her pack moving up forward until they were only a little distance off. _

Tiredly, Raen slowly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of weary dark blue orbs. This situation reminded him of the time his pups were killed by that monster Takeshi… Takeshi?! Suddenly he sprang back to his paws and snarled, a low, deep, snarl of pure rage. Takeshi, that monster was part of this, Takeshi was part of the evil who had taken the last of his family away. Raen's need for revenge overcame him and he looked at the other hizar, snarling softly as his mind-voice intoned, _Quiet! I will not tolerate insubordination! From the shocked look in the other hizar's purple eyes, he seemed to smirk before he became more serious, his visage grave, __But I do promise you that if my bonded dies then I go with her. She is not dead but I would feel it in the instant that she does, not even the Great Evil's magics could stop me feeling that_

Suddenly the other hizar seemed to shake off her startled stare, settling on giving Raen a passive look, _Then that is good I suppose. We will assist you and the elves in the fight, though our priorities are the Great Evil and his army, not your half-blooded bonded She seemed to hold mild distaste of that, seemingly aware of the impossibility of her statements, hizars and elves working together?! __The hizars agreed to put aside their differences to fight something even more disgusting too us, our personal vengeance against the one called Takeshi as you may already know. I am called Yari and the my pack  shall help you in the coming battle_

Raen looked at her, his eyes calm now, aware of the eyes watching them and answering lightly, _Very well, though you are indeed very impudent for a purple gem. Tell me, where is your mate? She had to have a silver gemmed mate to lay claim upon the pack, none would be so bold to speak to him in such a manner unless they were of his rank or very near to it. _

A bitter mental laugh echoed throughout the room and she pinned her bright eyes upon Raen, _He has died before any pups had came. Takeshi being the one to destroy him. We had no silver gems left and so I was left to carry on the pack She looked at him calmly as faint shock flared in his eyes, __Unprecedented yes, but necessary. I shall take up a mate from another pack or a wandering male that is a silver gemmed, then it will all be balanced once again_

_As it should be Done speaking with the female, he turned towards Joren and they both looked at each other for a long moment before Raen suddenly dipped his head and murmured lightly in everyone's heads, __Where you go, I shall go_

Instead of fighting a statement like that, as everyone expected Joren to, he just looked at the hizar and nodded curtly before looking back at Arylanth and Jonathon, his voice sharp as he spoke, "Well then, are you going to start helping or not?" He walked over to a nearby wall and reclined against it, looking at everyone with steely eyes, "So  start helping." 

~

"So how did you come here?" Owen piped up, all of them seated and scattered around the large room, comfortably settled in… well they were all comfortable except for one tense human and one vengeance filled hizar. "I thought Kel said that you weren't able to come here, not enough power and all of that." 

"I would dearly love to know the answer to that as well!" Numair spoke up, his eyes glinting with excitement. Even with the kidnapping of Kel, the deaths of the other knights, it didn't mean that he would ever stop trying to find out all that he can about magic. If he did, well then, he wouldn't be Numair would he? Beside him, Daine laid a gentle hand on his arm, as if to curb his enthusiasm. 

Arylanth glanced in Joren's direction, he was still leaning against the wall, Raen sitting by his feet. She gave a soft sigh and returned her attention back to the more curious faces and spoke simply, "Scanra and plan _Trebalia." _

A startled look entered King Jonathon's eye and he sat up straighter, demanding, "Scanra? What do they have to do with this? I had suspected they were up to something and had sent Joren and Kel over there… where this entire mess had started." He gave a weary shake of his head, "But they were involved in getting you here?" 

Instead of Arylanth, Elladon was the one who spoke up next, a grim smile placed upon his lips, "Yes, Scanra is in fact, an ally. They have been developing a way to get us here with Darial as our representative. We had thought that it would be better to have disguised Darial since he was from another world, giving our secret to only King Balor." He shrugged slightly, golden blond hair glinting in the fading sun, "As you can see, plan _Trebalia has worked." _

A soft voice spoke up, coming from another elf, slender and serious, her dark brown eyes looking around as she spoke, "If you hadn't sent My Lady Queen's aunt along with Lord Joren then this situation would have been even worse. We would have had no chance of surviving the war, for the Great Evil was already here and only Lady Keladry can contain him… at a great price." 

"…A great price?" Neal echoed, his eyes confused, "What great price does she have to pay to contain him… and why only containment? Wouldn't it be better if we destroyed him?" 

Gently Arylanth spoke, her voice full of sorrow, "She would have to deplete all of her power and then she would have died. And the Great Evil is immortal, at least we think so. He is a god… and a First god at that. We had contained him before and must do it again, for he has broken free from mortal help." She looked down at her hands and then back up to Neal's shocked face, grinding out, "I don't want her to die! But we have no other choice… none that I can see." 

With a  quick shake of his head, Neal looked as if he would deny that statement all together when suddenly Cleon burst into the conversation, "Are you bloody mad?! You can't just let Kel die! There has too be another way!"

Owen intoned softly, adding in, "And doesn't Joren die as well? Since he's bonded to Kel and all…" He colored faintly when everyone's gaze turned towards him, and suddenly paled when Arylanth gave a grave nod. Finally he turned towards Joren, who really be more concerned than he was showing, and asked softly, "Joren?"

Only a sudden glance towards his way showed that Joren had heard him. He looked away once again and spoke in an impassionate, uncaring voice, "I don't care. Give my life for my country, isn't that what a knight is supposed to do?"

"No Joren, your job is to protect and serve the people, not give up your life, not needlessly," Raoul looked at the knight with a thoughtful look in his gaze, a faint frown touching upon his lips when Joren didn't seem to hear him. He shifted his weight slightly, turning his attention towards Arylanth once again, "So how did this plan _Trebalia work?" _

An uneasy smile lit up Arylanth's face and she fiddled with her hands, eyes downcast, before answering hesitantly, "We drew up the planet's own life force to fuel our spells." At the Tortallian's shocked looks -except for Joren- she added in a defensive tone, "It worked didn't it? And if we didn't come, without our help, you would all fall within a few days! Yes, we cannot use it often, but it was one of the only choices we had left to us." 

_The planet would die anyway if the Great Evil had gotten hold of it Yari spoke up solemnly, her gave pinning onto Jonathon's'. She cared not if he was 'king' hizars had no kings, only alphas, and they were there to serve the pack to the best of their ability, make the decisions. In her mind, she was equal to a paltry 'king' who didn't even know all of his subject's names. _

Before Jonathon could reply, the door burst open and a harried man rushed into the room, not even bothering to bow before he blurted out, "Your majesty! Troops! Many of them! All coming towards Tortall! From the reports there are strange monsters, like the immortals, but none that we have ever seen before!"

"It has begun." Joren rose from his position and started to walk out towards the door, his mind whirling with plans. Raen trotted at his heels and they both disappeared from the room. 

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

IceWind: *twitches* Yes, I know, very late. School sucks, if you blow it up, I SWEAR I'll be able to update more. *evil grin* Besides, I've been working hard on my other stories. ^^; and webpage. *large sweatdrop*

Raen: *growls* 

IceWind: *pouts* Fine, fine, no blowing up school. Anyway, I'm sorry that this chapter is rather short and doesn't have any Kel (except for people mentioning her) in it either. *giggles* Well, we don't always want to read/write about torture right? RIGHT?

Raen: *sweatdrop*

IceWind: *innocent smile* Oh well, see ya guys until next time, and remember to review!

~

**Facts:**

_Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. _

_Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. _

_Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. _

_Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes._

_Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. _

_Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period._

_Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. _

_Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. _

_Carzo: Vicious, mainly amphibious creatures that lived in the world of Medea before being brought to Tortall by the Great Evil -or Tonshi-. They are of a mottled green and blue color, with six yellow eyes. They stand at around a tigers' height at the shoulder with two tentacles on the side of their small and slightly blunt head. Carzo have long webbed feet -strangely able to run quickly still on land- and gill slits on the side of their body. It has a long, thin tail, sharp, which could cut through a multitude of things, the least of which is flesh. They have long, jagged, serrated teeth, made for tearing and ripping. They usually live in pods of about five, and they move so quickly together that it is hard to site one and focus upon it because it then drops back and blends back into the pod. _

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get some candy corn. *hands person some candy corn*


	27. The Escape

Aether Winds

Chapter twenty-seven- The Escape

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine._ This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol._

IceWind: *winces* Wow, who knew I could be so late with an update?

Raen: *twitches and growls at her*

IceWind: *giggles and backs away slowly before running off* 

**Keita:** Your school is covered in cameras? *large sweatdrop* well, that probably sucks for you doesn't it? ^^; Eh, I'd let you destroy my school but you'll land in jail *pouts* Ah well, I rather have you alive and umm… happy, I guess *giggles* 

**DragonShimmer:** -.-; You want Raen to have a mate? *pauses and smirks* I am not telling you a thing.

**Krazy Kitty :P:** No! They have a planet still! *large sweatdrop* They only used up a bit of the planets power to get there! ^^; Sorry I was so confusing. But they can't be traveling back and forth doing that all of the time, some serious repercussions might happen if they do. 

**Larzdinn:** *pats your back* It's okay if you don't review once in a while. ^^; Just as long as you don't disappear completely on me. You are a procrastinator? Girl, (assuming that you are one) look at me and how late this chapter came out ^__^; Of course I can forgive you *huggies* Though I do believe that this chapter DOES have a cliffhanger… *coughs and hides*

**Orange Blossom:** *stares at you* Seriously? 4 hours? Hell of a long time… ^__^;; 

**Twitch:** *smiles sheepishly and scuffs toe on ground* Nope, don't really have a good excuse… Just school and everything, I'm on my junior year in high school and god knows how hectic that time is. 

**Lady Sandrilene:** Sorry I didn't reply to your e-mail *giggles nervously* But when I finally noticed that I had read it without replying it was a _long time since you e-mailed me. *large sweatdrop and then sticks nose in air* I have an impressive imagination, thank you very much, *winks* I know lots of weapons and places where they could be hidden; my brain is just too dead to form a real reply right now. _

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Damn them…_ Kel thought hollowly to herself as she dangled by her chains. She couldn't move much, her arms and wrists screamed with pain from the countless times she tried to see if she could break loose. Blood dripped slowly down her arms, her writs bleeding from the times she pulled so hard that she scrapped and cut herself on the manacles. Her weary eyes flicked around the small cave, she had long since tried to scream for help. That was fruitless, and all it did was cause the guards endless sorts of amusement by jeering at her and hitting her to shut her up.

There was also the fact that she couldn't scream anymore… a long torture session had taken care of that. It had been mostly mental, pain, so long drawn out and it wouldn't lessen at all… She had screamed so long, so hard, that she made herself hoarse. Now if she screamed it was in silence, striving to make sound yet unable to. Kel hung limply and panted softly, mind furiously working for ideas on how to get away.

Blood streamed from the small cuts that lined her body, lashes from the tip of a whip, each one a fierce and burning red. They didn't only do mental torture. But the physical part was only slight and she could mostly withstand it… even if it hurt like hell if they poured salt water into the wounds. At least she could see what they were doing, the mental torture was much worse… 

The funny thing was that they left her face entirely untouched by the lash, mockingly they had told her it was to make her look 'pretty' for Radock. She didn't want to dwell on that thought, not at all. Suddenly Kel gave a hoarse snarl to herself and shook her head fiercely. All this brooding wasn't helping her escape now was it? Silently she thought over what she could do…

And suddenly she had it, a weak plan to be sure but one nevertheless. Kel closed her eyes briefly as she prayed to all of the gods that she knew that this would work and that she could join Raen and Joren… if she ever escaped. "Gods… please let this work…" she silently mouthed those words to the walls before she started to thrash.

~

Joren was pissed. Extremely and utterly pissed off at them all. Two weeks, two _fucking _weeks, and he still wasn't allowed to go after Kel, and no amount of threats he voiced seemed to sway any of them. Sure he had threatened that he would just disappear… but it seemed that he had more duties and responsibilities than he thought, and those fucking people made him feel guilty… and the hizars even made the cat feel guilty enough to stay as well! 

He gave a fierce scowl at a passing servant and gave a dark smile when he heard her squeak and scurry away as quickly as she can. Though it made him feel a bit better, he couldn't help but continue brooding, to continue to think up ways to escape this place when it was obvious he still had his duties to attend to. He acknowledged Raen's presence with a brief nod towards the hizar who had emerged seemingly out of no where to silently pad at his side.

_I cannot take this anymore, Joren_

It was a sign of bad times when the cat actually resorted to using his first name, but he gave no indication of this, instead sneering. Joren cast an arm around and drawled out slowly, "What? This near imprisonment? The fact that we are watched like hawks by not only people, but the animals that Wild Mage volunteered? That we cannot go after Kel even though both of us are bonded to her? That for some reason I'm going slowly insane just because that… that _girl_ is away?!" His voice rose drastically as he continued speaking, the last parts of his sentences were ended with an audible snarl. 

Raen slowed down his padding before speeding up again until he was caught up with Joren, his mind-voice was tentative and soft, _You miss Mistress, it is understandable. Any ideas on how to leave? Though it was a private mind link, the hizar still looked around suspiciously as if anyone could hear them and stop them from talking about it. Yes, he felt guilt over wanting to leave the others, but it was clear to him what was more important… for Kel was not only his bonded but his only family, unless you counted Joren of course, but the boy was clearly a wreck and tension just surrounded him. One wrong move and you'd probably be full of holes from ice shards._

An extremely sarcastic voice answered him, "And how would that be, hizar? We are both watched more than anyone else in this bloody castle… look at the mouse over there." Seeing Raen look towards where Joren spoke of, the boy sneered and threw a tiny bolt of ice at the little creature half-heartedly, ignoring the way the mouse darted away. 

A worried voice permeated into his mind, _That… was considerably weaker than I thought you would do in your state of mind. How are you feeling, Joren? Do not lie, I will detect it Raen flicked his ears worriedly towards Joren, a feeling of dread creeping up in the hizar._

A strange, slightly subdued voice answered him, "Tired, my heart strains, cat. Something is missing and it is rather obvious what that something is, but I can't do anything to fix it. I'm tired and I'm getting weaker for no apparent reason." Joren's hand crept up to the chain around his neck, fingering his gem with a slightly pensive expression.

_By the seven gods… how could we forget?_

That breathless whisper across Joren's mind caused him to jerk his head up and glare at the hizar. His hand clasped around the gem and he squeezed it, snapping out, "What do you mean, you 'forgot'? Forgot _what?" Suddenly his gaze flickered to his hand and he released the gem with annoyance, instead using the hand to brush his hair back._

Raen froze in his movements, though this time Joren stopped as well. Dark blue eyes met lighter ones and the feline seemed to wince away,_ You are going to die if we do not get you to my Mistress He shifted his stance uncomfortably and stared fixedly at a nearby door. _They didn't seem to realize… forgot understand, that you were bonded to my Mistress and can't be away from her for long. It's been alright so far, you both have plenty of magical power so that means you can separate from each other for longer periods of time. But… it's been a long time, my Mistress should be noticing some abnormalities with her regular strength, but it won't be as severe are the differences in you__

Only a calm, collected voice answered him, "And why not?"

For some reason that frightened Raen more than any anger and he whimpered softly before replying, _It should be obvious, but Mistress has more magical strength than you do and so it stands to reason that she should be able to last longer_ A thoughtful expression appeared in his dark blue eyes, _Perhaps this will convince some that we are needed to go rescue Mistress?_

A faint sneer appeared on Joren's face and he waved a hand around absentmindedly, "And if it doesn't work… well then, we're just going to have to break out of here aren't we?" He smirked slightly and walked down the hall towards the throne room, mind thinking up ways on how to word the fact that he and the cat would be leaving. 

~

"What do you mean we still can't go?!" Joren exploded at the King, almost visibly snarling. His hands clenched tightly at his sides, ice blue eyes narrowed at Jonathon, ignoring the way Raen bristled angrily besides him. "Did you hear a blasted word I said? Pompous old…"

"That is enough!" Jonathon's voice was quick and sharp, "You are forgetting your place Joren of Stone Mountain." Faint reproach and anger appeared in his eyes, "You are not allowed to go. The battles have already started, we need all the knights that we have, and there is already have a plan to get Sir Mindelan free."

Joren gave the king a glare but backed down, visibly trying to get his anger under control, before finally biting out, "What plan?" 

Besides him, Raen looked at Jonathon with a condescending air, as if he wouldn't listen to the man no matter what he may say. The hizar started to pace by Joren's side, back and forth, audible growls coming from his muzzle as his tail lashed behind him viciously.

A small smile curved on Jonathon's face, and he raised a brow slightly, "Do you think that you are the only ones concerned about our errant knight? I assure you that both of you don't need to be on the mission to rescue her, you have my word on this." He reclined back slightly in his throne and spoke dismissively, "Trust me on this, I will not hear anymore on this subject."

A sneer flickered onto Joren's face and he murmured softly so that only Raen could hear him, "I do not trust, I only follow orders you bastard." Face set in a stone mask; he spoke again, "Any mission then?"

The king gave him a thin smile, "In fact, yes, I'm sending you both to the front lines, southwest of here, Fort Wyrln. Raoul is in command, you'll report to him. As you already know, the fighting has begun; we think that you will spend your time there better than here… Numair shall be there as well, heavy fighting has besieged the fort, and we cannot let them pass." A frown appeared and he leaned forward slightly, "Strange sorts of monsters have been attacking our forces as well, vicious things of all different kinds. Queen Arylanth insisted at being there… She says that those are beasts from the land they come from, she also thinks that the war will end there as well for some reason, what am I to argue with the Queen of Loryinthia?" A faintly bemused look flickered on his face at those words. 

Suddenly Raen spoke up, stopping his pacing long enough to stare at the King directly in the eyes, his own dark blue ones cool and arrogant, _I do not take orders from pitiful humans, what makes you think that I will go?_ Joren gave a secret smirk at the hizar's actions. 

Jonathon frowned at Raen and spoke harshly, "I am the king of Tortall and unless you want to be exiled, I suggest that you abide from this kingdom's rules." His tone softened slightly and lowered, "You need not worry about your Mistress, she shall be taken care of and all will be well, but some of the hizars request your appearance for they think that you have more knowledge of things such as human wars."

The ebon fur rippled as Raen shifted slightly, eyes now betraying slight uncertainty, _I… am not completely knowledgeable of this human kingdom, nor do I really care to learn. The only reason I am here is because of my Mistress _Suddenly a hand passed through his fur and Raen looked up towards the solemn face Joren, listening intently as the boy began to speak. 

"We will go to that fort."

Surprise appeared in the very lines of the hizar's body. Raen jerked his head slightly and gave Joren a startled look, _What? Why? His body twisted deftly away from Joren's hands, an irate look rising in his dark blue eyes. __I thought you cared for my Mistress! I thought--_

He was abruptly cut off, "That's not it." Joren looked steadily at the hizar, ignoring the looks anyone might be giving them, "Arylanth thinks that the battle will end there for some reason, why? Think about it, cat, you can not be that much of an idiot, can you?" Seeing Raen's pensive look, he moved on smoothly, "While the elves are not omnipotent, they see more than one may think. Don't they have the psy elves too that are completely dedicated to try to puzzle out the future?"

His hand went to his gem and he tapped it lightly, letting Raen see the swirls of purple within it, "Don't forget that I'm of the psy element as well, though definitely not as skilled at reading the future as those elves… and they aren't as good as some may think. But I still have this feeling creeping up on me, and while we can't help Kel right now, we may as well be at the final battle. I have a feeling that she'll show up."

Raen gave him a searching look, before the creature suddenly dipped his finely shaped head in a slight nod and looked away towards the door, his body relaxing slightly, _Then we should prepare, should we not, boy?_

Joren smiled faintly and they both turned around to walk away when Jonathon suddenly called out to them.

"Wait."

They both turned towards the king once again, two pairs of inquiring eyes looking steadily at the Tortallan monarch as his silent consort who was sitting beside him.

"…Arylanth said that once you have made up your minds about going that I should tell you about Takeshi," Jonathon ignored the sudden growl that emitted from Raen's mouth, "She said that he'll be there, at Fort Wyrlan, he's one of the commanders of that 'Great Evil's force. Tell me, who is he? She wouldn't give me any specific details."

Raen answered for them both, his mind-voice flat, _He's a murderer that must pay for his crimes, Takeshi is mine. _Inform your troops if you must, human _And then the knight and the hizar walked out of the room._

~

Kel panted softly, eyeing the key that lay at her feet with a sardonic smile. Rivulets of blood trailed down her massacred wrists, gushing a sickening dark red. To the side, a body seemed to have been thrown to the cave wall, his neck broken, face blue, signs of strangulation upon him. She breathed out softly, "What to do now…"

Killing the man had been the easy part, too bad she hadn't thought much beyond that move. Granted, she hadn't thought that it would be so easy taking him out. All she had to do was struggle and make a lot of noise, drawing the single guard inside, then she lifted her legs from the ground and wrapped them around his neck as he came closer. In doing so, she fractured a wrist and was currently bleeding to high hell, but she continued to strain weight upon her wrists until she was able to break his neck with rapid movements. 

She was also lucky that when the man approached he thought it was because she needed to use a latrine and so had the key out of his hands… but luck wouldn't help her now, especially since she didn't know how to get the key off the floor and into her shackles. 

Kel gave a soft growl and resisted the urge to kick the floor or wall, teeth biting into her lip as she tried to ignore the pain that screamed out of her wrists, the metal of the shackles really did damage them, especially since she put all of her weight on them. Suddenly she stopped moving and halted, sounds reaching her ears.

_Is it Tonshi?_ Fear plagued her mind at the thought of the deranged god and she abruptly tried to press closer to the wall of the cave, never mind the fact that her back was already pushed up against it and that she had dearly wanted to get away from it before. 

Suddenly, to her surprise, a red-tailed hawk winged into the cave, a soft screech emerging from its throat as it landed nearby. Kel started slightly when the face of the hawk changed shape until it formed human lips and actually spoke.

"Kel… there you are, I was getting rather frustrated with the search. I'll get you out…"

Kel suddenly spoke, her voice rough and harsh from the pain and the screaming, "Daine…? By the gods… how did you find me?" She felt her limbs relax, relief flickering in her hazel brown eyes as she stared at the eagle now-turned-girl. 

Daine looked down at herself and blushed slightly, but then disregarded her nakedness with a dismissive look. She took the key from the floor and hurriedly made her way towards Kel, muttering to herself how freeing the girl was more important than any shyness she may have. Deftly she unlocked the shackles and gasped as she caught Kel before the girl fell onto the ground, laying her down easily, "Some rats told me where you were… had to bribe them, damned creatures, never could work with them." Her eyes flickered over Kel's form and rested on her wrists, "Kel… you're hurt."

A faint grin appeared on the Wild Mage's face as Kel muttered something about stating the obvious, and Daine quickly made Kel a rough sling, speaking rapidly, "I can't stay with you, Numair and the others need my help at Fort Wyrln and I can't take you along with me if I'm to go my fastest. You'll do fine; I know you will get out alright."

"Artic… do you know where she is?" Kel's raspy voice broke through Daine's ramblings as she tried to get to her feet, only swaying slightly in her attempt.

The Wild Mage looked at Kel closely and frowned, before nodding lightly, "Yes… she's near here, in one of the connecting caverns. I was going to leave her and let you get her… but it seems that you need my help." Daine frowned worriedly and passed a hurried hand through her hair, "Right then…" She sighed and looked down at her unclothed body with a slight grimace, "At least I know that there aren't any guards."

At Kel's inquiring look, Daine explained, "It's remarkably lax in security around here, though I believe it's because nobody is expected to find you. The rats told me that the humans thought that Arctic wouldn't try to do anything and so only left a guard for you… and the replacement guard should be coming soon, we ought to leave. I'm shifting into a cat form, and lead you from there." Suddenly the girl began to shrink down in size until she became a brown tabby with little white markings all over herself. 

The cat shook herself and looked at Kel before starting to trot off in the direction of the horse.

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IceWind: -.-;; Sorry, terribly sorry. Well… *pause* at least we only have a couple more chapters left, less than five, more than one. ^^; 

Raen: *sighs and rolls his eyes*

IceWind: *hits him on the head and continues on* I've been busy and after Aether, which I most definitely will finish by the way, even if it takes me another year (which I really don't hope it does), I'll probably take a break from writing Tamora Pierce fics… though I still have to work on my other ones. -.-; I don't think I'll take as long to complete my next update, but knowing me… *shrugs* Maybe, probably not. 

Raen: *plops down on the ground and moans out* I'm going to be a old hizar before this is done.

IceWind: *giggles and pats his head* Maybe, but don't worry. *glances at readers* At least I haven't stopped right? *dodges flying objects and sweatdrops* ah well, until next time! 

~

**Facts:**

_Seibutsu__ Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. _

_Seibutsu__ Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. _

_Hizar_: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

_Jerogil_: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

_Elves:_ They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

_Soul Mates_: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

_Kalyrath__ Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. _

_Aether__: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. _

_Carzo__: Vicious, mainly amphibious creatures that lived in the world of Medea before being brought to Tortall by the Great Evil -or Tonshi-. They are of a mottled green and blue color, with six yellow eyes. They stand at around a tigers' height at the shoulder with two tentacles on the side of their small and slightly blunt head. Carzo have long webbed feet -strangely able to run quickly still on land- and gill slits on the side of their body. It has a long, thin tail, sharp, which could cut through a multitude of things, the least of which is flesh. They have long, jagged, serrated teeth, made for tearing and ripping. They usually live in pods of about five, and they move so quickly together that it is hard to site one and focus upon it because it then drops back and blends back into the pod. _

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get some snickers. *hands person some snickers*


	28. On The March

Aether Winds

Chapter twenty-eight- On The March

By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine. This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *sighs* Finally ^^;

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DragonShimmer: o.o; I can pretty much say it won't take me an entire year to finish this… hopefully *coughs and hides*

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The Blind Assassin: I am SO not giving up (even if I may take forever to get chapters out…) on Aether… I've been working on it so long that seems inconceivable o.o 

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Garnet-Scorpion: So you like the length? That's good ^^; lmao, interesting suggestion… though I'll probably not use it since I have an idea of what to do. *sneaky grin*

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Princess Sanidaylene: *giggles* 'fraid that Aether is coming to an end… but not after like five more chapters or so. ^^; This chapter is a bit longer than the last… that should make people happy. 

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Larzdinn: *coughs* Cliffhanger here too… *shrieks and runs off* 

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tbiris: ^^; Yeah, there should have been, shouldn't there? 

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Xelena: Nope, Kel can't heal herself… I don't think I gave her that ability ^^; Besides, her magic has been blocked off, remember? Yeah, Takeshi is a baaad man… I just don't understand why I like him x.x *hides* 

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Cami of Queenscove: *blinks…blinks* … bondage eh? *evil grin* … *wacks self* ^^; 

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Willow: A couple hundred chapters???? O.O lmao, that's a bit hard… 

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Kel sighed softly; bracing herself against the wall of a cavern… though perhaps 'cavern' really wasn't an apt description for the place considering it was unlike any other caverns she had ever been too. Those caverns were dank, dark, smelly, had lots of bat (and other creatures) droppings all over the place… quite unlike this one where it was almost airy… Certainly there was light coming from who knows where, and there wasn't a disgusting smell… unless you include the smell of blood (which mostly came from her). 

Daine, still a cat, looked up at her, silently urging her to keep on going. 

__

Kind of hard… especially after one's tortured and beaten. Kel gave a soft, mental snort inside her head as she stubbornly pushed back against the rock and remained upright, a cool, emotionless mask sliding itself into place as she continued to move, hiding any twinges of pain she may have felt. _Weaker than I thought I was, that's strange_, she mused to herself. Hazel brown eyes fixed down at the tabby as she moved and began to follow the cat, refusing to even limp. 

Her gaze flickered down towards her massacred wrists, a faint grimace appearing for a moment on her face before vanishing as if it was never there. Her little stunt would probably leave her with several more scars… just great. Whatever, when she signed up to be a knight she expected more than just bruises anyway, received much more than that. 

"How much longer?" Kel's slightly terse voice was directed towards Daine, the girl walking in a slow, careful pace.

The brown tabby glanced up at the girl again, the muzzle forming to shape a mouth, "Not much longer, but… do you think you can move a bit faster? I'm afraid that the replacement guards have already found out that you've escaped." Sympathetic grayish eyes looked into Kel's hazel, the human mouth once more shaping in a cat's muzzle.

"Hn, yes." 

With those words directed at her, Daine speeded up slightly in her padding, tail curling and straightening behind her, always checking towards Kel to see if the other girl was fine. Just a few more minutes and they'll arrive at where Arctic was… just a few more minutes.

What she didn't expect was the single carzo standing in their way, guarding the place where Arctic was supposed to be.

~

"Well?" Joren snapped irritably at the man, his eyes fixed past the hills and trees, towards the fort where they were supposed to be. He glanced down and over at the man, glaring fiercely, "What's the status of the troops?" He sat astride on Demon Wind, the ebony horse dancing under his touch, snorting softly under the boy's soft touch.

"The first wave of assault came through on Fort Wyrln, ten thousand of the enemy. Many minor damages besieged the fort but Lord Raoul seems to be holding it up. A total of several thousand people are housed in the fort currently, supplies have been getting through, but the enemy has shown signs of planning to cut it off." The young man spoke clearly, rapidly, slightly nervous under the scrutinizing stare that Joren was placing him under. 

Ice blue eyes held the other man's gaze for a moment, before he dismissed the boy with a wave of his hand. Joren glanced down towards Raen who was standing next to Demon, calmly asking, "What do you think, cat?"

Raen gave a faint growl, not directed at Joren or anyone in particular. The hizar padded impatiently by Joren's side before dark blue eyes met Joren's face. The hizar looked away then, towards the fort, gaze assessing. _I don't like it. This isn't near to the full force of what Takeshi and the Great Evil can do. Not even close… They seem to be toying with us, and yet we are struggling. This is not good at all… Tell me, human, who is in that fort?_

Joren ignored the 'human' remark, thoughtfully looking down at the pensive hizar, finally speaking, "Numair, Raoul, many knights… some of the hizar troops, Lady Arylanth and several of her elfin troops. Not everyone, yet a sizable group… The fort doesn't really seem to be struggling though, what makes you think that it is?" He frowned deeply, slightly perturbed that the cat could see something that he couldn't.

__

Why else did it take so long for the troops to ward off the first attack? The second wave is coming soon… I do not like this at all Raen shook his slender cranium nervously, the faint rattle of his silver chain sounding quietly. 

A thoughtful voice answered the hizar's question, "Perhaps they are planning something… the first wave was a total of ten thousand of the enemy… and the enemy aren't exactly human. Cat, scout ahead, see if there are any spies hiding."

Raen glowered at the boy, holding his head up in a prideful manner as he slowly moved out. He was doing this because he was bored; not that he was going to follow some human boy's orders. The only human (well half-human) he was going to follow was his Mistress… A sharp pang went through Raen at the thought. Before he had been bonded to the girl because he believed it was best, a sort of punishment really to tell the truth… 

A punishment because he hadn't been able to save his family, save his pack. But then… it had turned, and he became fond and _attached_ to the damn girl… A mental sigh flashed though his head as he threaded his way throughout the forest, ears constantly moving, nose discerning even the scantiest of smells. His ebony body blended with the shadows of the forest, his paws making no sound at all as they traversed over the ground.

His dark blue eyes peered through a couple of bushes, his ears suddenly catching the softest of sounds… Suddenly Raen froze, sniffed the air lightly, his paws treading the ground ever so carefully as he moved towards the source, something that jarred within him as not being native to the forest they were in. His sleek body moved through the brush while hardly stirring a leaf and he crouched as he watched and saw a jerogil lumber out…

__

What is that doing here? The hizar's eyes widened slightly, it seemed as if the Great Evil had more jerogil's under his sway. _Bastard… _Silently wondering if some jerogils had attacked the fort in the first wave, Raen seemingly melted back into the brush and shadows, intent on finding the boy once more. He wasn't going up against that thing, it was bloody hard to kill them… And if he used his powers then others would be alerted.

When he was sure that he was outside of the jerogil's range of awareness, his strides quickened as he used to nose to get where the boy was, smelling out the subtle scents that made Joren… Joren. He peeked through the brush and gave a sudden snarl as blades suddenly appeared before him.

"Stand down men," a vaguely amused, yet slightly weary at the same time, voice rang out and Joren strode forward towards Raen, his mouth set in a cynical expression, apparently he and the men had started to camp for the night, "You're back early, cat. Does that mean you found something? You're slipping as well, getting spotted and heard so quickly by the men."

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Arrogant whelp… Raen muttered softly in his mind, tail lashing behind him in agitation, _I was being noisy on purpose… Anyway, boy, I spotted the enemies scout, a jerogil_ He gave some of the men surrounding him an impudent glare, smirking inwardly when a couple took a step back.

One of the men, by the name of Ryan, spoke up, "What is that? A jerogil?" His green eyes looked down at the hizar and while he flinched slightly when the black creature looked at him, he didn't step back like the others did.

"Jerogil…" Joren drawled that out softly, eyes thoughtful as he muttered to himself, "Ah yes, that… thing Kel and I faced?" He ignored some of the snickers that came from the men at the mention of Kel… he had been known to be a bad-ass and hating Kel and every since he came back, it was a source of mirth among some people. 

Another one of the men called out mockingly, "So the ice-prince thinks of his lady-love again, how sweet." He began to recite bad poetry, ignorant of the fact that Raen looked ready to skewer him and that Joren was twitching slightly in rage. 

A terse mind voice filled the minds of everyone; _I will not tolerate any insults upon my Mistress. Desist now_ Raen was growling softly, ears pressed against his head, dimly aware that Demon looked ready to kick the other man as well. 

The man just gave the hizar an impudent look, speaking with a smirk, "Ha, if I would take orders from some creature… You may have everyone else fooled, but nothing good would come of our alliance with things like you." The man sneered at the hizar, unaware that the others around him were silently backing away, if they agreed with him or not.

"Quiet Davis…" Ryan's soft voice rang out, eyeing the now snarling hizar and visibly agitated man nervously. His quick glance towards the other men showed their nervousness as well… apparently Davis had brought, and drunk, quite a bit of liquor before this and wasn't in a right state of mind. This was made more apparent by the man's ruddy cheeks and a certain foul odor coming from him.

Davis gave his friend a funny look, gesturing rudely towards the hizar, "What? Think I'm scared of some creature like that? Or that pansy, Stone?" In his inebriated state, it seemed as if he forgot that Joren was standing close to him. 

Before Raen could lunge at the man, Joren stepped neatly in front of the hizar, cocked his fist back, and slammed it into the man's nose, breaking it cleanly. He gave his regular cocky smirk, but his eyes were cold, voice soft, "You are to stay away from me at all times. If I hear you speak of such things every again, I'll let Raen claw out your throat."

He gave a beautiful, icy smile then, his gaze turning towards Ryan.

"Sir?" Ryan snapped to attention immediately, not sparing a glance towards the bloodied and wailing man whom was being helped off… presumably to get his nose reset and bandaged. He gave a nervous glance towards the angered-looking hizar before keeping careful attention on his superior officer.

Joren gave him an emotionless look, "Jerogil are nothing to be laughed at. They are usually peaceful animals but the enemy," Joren refused to call the enemy the 'Great Evil' anymore, it was such a stupid name, "has corrupted them, some of them at least." His gaze darted towards Raen and he gave a slow nod towards the hizar, "Raen will inform you more about them… I will make plans for our departure, we will arrive at the fort at dawn." With those words he turned around and walked off towards his tent, eyes broody and thoughtful.

The man watched the back of his superior officer before shifting his attention towards the hizar, slightly skittish by the assessing look that came from it. Yes, he was from Tortall, the country where strange things happened all the time, yes he was a knight and knew most of the strange things. But it was still hard for any of them to adjust to what was happening. Some where also extremely bitter over this war, whispering amongst themselves that the newcomers from the other world brought it with them…

He himself did not know exactly what to think. He was supposed to remain loyal to the king, yet how could he when it seemed as if the king was dragging them into a foolish war that shouldn't have happened in the first place? Or at least shouldn't have been Tortall's concern. 

__

Well human… do you wish to know or not?

Ryan refused to wince as the voice entered his head. That was another thing that was bothering many… how creatures like Raen seemed to walk around as if they owned the land underneath their paws. And the many strange creatures… the Immortal wars hadn't been too long ago, and some had thought they had gotten all of the immortals known on the world classified. Yet here comes new creatures… dangerous creatures.

At the impatient look the hizar was giving him, Ryan mentally shook his head at his thoughts, answering as respectfully -for he had seen the hizar disembowel a creature on the way here- towards Raen, "Yes."

Raen gave the human a calm look, faint curiosity in the dark blue depths before he gave a short nod and started to trot off, _Follow me, then…I do not wish to start talking out in the open, I feel distinctly uncomfortable_

Wondering where the hizar was leading him, Ryan followed anyway, ignoring the curious looks of the others that may be watching. Both human and hizar finally stopped at a small tent in which Raen went inside, placing his haunches upon the ground once he was there. Raen, seeing the human stop just outside, snorted mentally to himself, _Damn humans, do you need an invitation? _His mind-voice was sweetly sarcastic.

Ryan seemingly twitched before lifting the flap and going inside, eyeing the sparseness of the tent with a vaguely surprised eye, "Who's tent…?"

__

Mind you daft human Raen gave an impression of a smirk, tail curling up around him absentmindedly, _Now, I shall tell you more about the creatures you are fighting against, and you will inform the men_ His mind-voice was practical, thoughtful even.

"Me?" Ryan looked almost visibly shocked, "But why not you?" He decided to ignore the fact that he was talking to some sort of strange creature that could probably disembowel him with a few movements. As Raen fixed on him once more an icy, assessing stare, he spoke again, "Not… that I wouldn't want to. I'm just curious really…"

The hizar gave an audible snort, making Ryan start slightly, amusement now flickering in his eyes, _Stupid human, do you think that they will listen to me?_

"Well I… never really thought about it…" Ryan gave the hizar a curious stare, able to forget that he was supposedly talking to an animal, "Why wouldn't they?"

Raen flicked his tail once, claws absentmindedly digging deeply into the ground, making small gouges into it. His mind-voice was quietly irate as he spoke; _They view me as an animal, a dumb one at that. And those that don't view me with suspicion, they don't like me at all_ He watched Ryan's eyes widen at his frank statements, and Raen went on grimly, _Not that I care for what they think, but in times of war, mistrust can be deadly_

"So you want me…?"

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Yes, I want you to inform them what I tell you know. Others have told me that you have a quick mind, a good ability to memorize things, so I shall tell you. They will trust you…

"Me? Why would they trust me?"

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Because you are human, and no one is truly your enemy. Unlike Joren, who has many, especially since he is now bonded with my Mistress. Your humans for some reason do not like a female knight… they are lucky I do not kill them A predatory gleam entered Raen's eyes at the thought, a faint flash of ivory teeth appearing for a brief moment.

"You would actually kill them?" Ryan's surprised voice rang out, and Raen felt momentary relief over the fact that he had cast a silence charm around this tent before.

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Of course. But my Mistress wouldn't want me too, so I do not

The human edged forward a bit, brown eyes curious, "Why? Why is Lady Keladry so important to you? Why is she your Mistress?"

Faint edges of surprised showed in the mind-voice as Raen answered, _You… do not know? I thought that everyone did by now_

"Lots of rumors have been floating around, the ones who truly know have been keeping quiet about it for some reason." Ryan smiled sheepishly at Raen, voice honest, "You should hear all of the rumors, many of them are rather unbelievable… or truly would be if there wasn't the fact that you are here, elves are here, and we have a war on our hands."

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You are rather intelligent for a human

Surprised appeared in Ryan's eyes, "Why… thank you, I suppose."

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Granted, humans are really stupid… unless it's my Mistress or the boy. So I don't know how important intelligence would be for you anyway

Ryan stood still for a moment, before it dawned upon him that Raen had made a joke, an actually joke. Certainly it was a dry, sarcastic one, but it was a joke nevertheless, and he couldn't help but give a soft chuckle in response. 

Raen gave a pleased flick of his tail, _Another reason why I chose you, you are rather easy-going by nature_ His pleased look faded, and suddenly he looked weary, _Tell me, do they really speak ill of my Mistress?_ At Ryan's uncertain glance, the hizar added in, _I give you my word that I do not try maim or kill any of the humans_

The man continued to give the hizar an uncertain look before he suddenly gave a slow smile, "To tell the truth, I wouldn't mind you getting rid of some of them, Davis included. But since you gave your word…"

And thus human and hizar started to talk.

~

"What to do…" Kel muttered softly so that only Daine could hear her words, her hands shifting towards where she kept the Silver Falcon. She was weak, yes, but not entirely defenseless, not by a long shot. But it was one thing fighting a human, and another thing altogether fighting a carzo. Again she saw the disconcerting image of a cat having a human mouth, but strove to ignore that little fact.

"We will have to kill it. I don't think that you can get out of here quick enough without Arctic."

Kel shot Daine a mildly irritated glare, "I am very well aware of that, not that I would leave Arctic behind anyway." She took out her silver dagger, clutching it tightly in her hand as she eyed the serrated teeth, the sharp tail, and the claws… This was going to be much harder than she originally thought. Just because her guards were merely human had made her think that perhaps Arctic's would be as well. It seemed as she had underestimated Tonshi.

He knew that she could hardly do anything without outside help, but Arctic was a different matter with her sharp hooves and strong teeth. One may not think that a horse would be dangerous, but those people were probably those that have never actually ridden one before.

Silently she inched forward, before asking pensively; "Can't you turn into a dragon or something equally dangerous? This isn't going to be easy…" 

Daine seemed to sigh, "I can't turn into an immortal or else I would be stuck in that form… but perhaps this would suffice?" Her tabby cat body suddenly lengthened, growing taller, wild orange fur with black stripes running down her. A full-grown tiger formed, tail lashing silently behind her as Kel looked on with admiring eyes.

"What's that?" Kel's voice was breathy, amazed really, she never saw a cat like that one before…

"It's called a tiger… so, shall we go and try to defeat this creature?" The tiger silently padded forward, Kel following behind the feline, while trying to hide any weakness from Daine's sharp eyes. She was just lucky that the other girl was more preoccupied with their current task than looking at her. 

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IceWind: Finally eh? *grins innocently*

Raen: *twitches and growls*

IceWind: *squeaks* Anyway… I got a livejournal! *sweatdrop* Yeah, if you want to see it, go to the username of **flyby311, **someone else took IceWind ;.; That bastard! *sweatdrop* And I'm sorry for leaving you all on a major cliffhanger again… *smiles sweetly* But you should be used to it by now.

Kaori: *squeaks in rage at IceWind and barrels into her… they start to fight*

Raen: O.O *snerks* This has been more of a filler chapter than anything else… but important things went on too ^.~ Anyway, bye! 

~

****

Facts:

__

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All 

hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

Carzo: Vicious, mainly amphibious creatures that lived in the world of Medea before being brought to Tortall by the Great Evil -or Tonshi-. They are of a mottled green and blue color, with six yellow eyes. They stand at around a tigers' height at the shoulder with two tentacles on the side of their small and slightly blunt head. Carzo have long webbed feet -strangely able to run quickly still on land- and gill slits on the side of their body. It has a long, thin tail, sharp, which could cut through a multitude of things, the least of which is flesh. They have long, jagged, serrated teeth, made for tearing and ripping. They usually live in pods of about five, and they move so quickly together that it is hard to site one and focus upon it because it then drops back and blends back into the pod. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get some snickers. *hands person some snickers*


	29. A Horse is a Man's Best Friend

Aether Winds  
Chapter twenty-nine- A Horse is a Man's Best Friend  
By- IceWind

A/N: 

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine. This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: ^^; No comment?

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Larzdinn: This… is not updated soon. Am so bad. Would hang self except then I wouldn't be able to write anymore o.o;;; *squeaks* Blueberry jello? Nuu… o.o WILL TRY! ^^;

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Cami of Queenscove: *sweatdrop* Because I didn't think of it? Also, Kel doesn't want to seem weak to other people, I just don't see it in her personality ^^; Dominatrix? KEL? O.o;; Joren wouldn't go for that, I don't think so anyway ^^;

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Tbiris: Livejournal… is like this online journal. Look it up in google or something, it's a HUGE community ^^ Tonshi doesn't have her necklace, she just can't reach her powers with her mind and thus she can't use them. And why? Dunno *pokes Tonshi and whimpers as he scowls at her* Maybe he's a secret coward? *sniggers* He'll show up though.

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Shakiya: Umm… I'll update A Single Choice soon. ^^;

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Raen Lee: *giggles* Raen isn't exactly a cat… but close to it! 

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Loony: *blinks* And here I thought I made Kel too 'kick-ass'. ^^; And… I didn't know Medea was in that… hmm…whatever ^^ Yeah, I know there are a lot of grammatical errors *her fault because she doesn't double-check her work* but it's almost done and I would hate to take up your time. ^^

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Shinigami Clara: Even after the war with Maggur (which doesn't happen in this story ^^;;;;) I'm sure people still discriminated against her *shrugs* Just the way the world works I guess. 

__

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

With quick movements, Daine suddenly leaped out towards the carzo in tiger form, tail lashing wildly, a feral look in her usually calm grayish eyes. Apparently it surprised the creature, since the carzo reeled back and halted for a moment, allowing the tiger to lash out with its claws and tear long rents into its chest. Not that it would stop the other creature of course.

A flash of insight came to Kel, horribly useless as she would be in this particular fight, it would be better if she somehow got Arctic Wind out of the cell since the horse was perfectly capable of fighting as well. Her grip tightened slightly on her dagger as she yelled wildly, "Daine! Move it away from the door! I've got to get Arctic out!" She lunged out of the way of a wildly swung tentacle, ignoring the screams of protest that was coming from her wounds.

Those she could attend too later, she had a fight to finish first.

Faint awe appeared in her hazel eyes as she watched Daine and the carzo duel; both slashed quickly, both reeling away in dangerous maneuvers to avoid being hit. But the carzo had the advantage it seemed, for it had more weapons than Daine did, especially those wicked serrated teeth and the tail that lashed out of nowhere to score a light gash on Daine's side.

But understanding lit into those intelligent tiger eyes, and Daine suddenly lunged backwards, a teasing swipe of the claws causing the carzo to leap after her. Six manic yellow eyes gleamed with bloodlust, almost unaware of Kel creeping closer towards the door, her hands moving towards the latch and fumbling it.

Almost.

Squeals came from inside, Arctic hearing the commotion and voicing her rage. Something heavy suddenly slammed into the small of Kel's back. She slammed into the door and buckled over, loud gasps coming from her mouth as she felt the object that had hit her jerk her slightly. _Jerk me…?_ Realization spread through her eyes as she suddenly understood that it was the carzo's tentacle that had hit her and was now stuck on her clothes.

Whirling around and ignoring her protesting muscles, her dagger slashed down quickly on the tentacle, Silver Falcon clutched within her hand, nearly severing it before it retracted quickly. A dark smile graced Kel's lips as she returned to her task and finally opened the door, freeing the horse within.

Kel smiled faintly as Arctic thundered out, squealing loudly as she bore down upon the unsuspecting carzo. At a good time as well, since the creature had about to thrust his tail into Daine's body, the girl-turned-tiger panting heavily covered with blood.

Arctic danced away from the first strike from one of the tentacles, head suddenly striking at the second one, the one that Daine had damaged. A bite from her powerful jaws at the spot where Daine had hit the carzo and the limb was torn off, Arctic whipping around and lashing out with her forelegs, pent up rage being released upon the creature before her.

Daine scrambled out of the way of what promised to be a bloodbath, blood, her and the carzo's, dripping from her orange fur and splashing the ground. It was awe-inspiring what the Kalyrath horses could do when completely enraged, and more than a bit terrifying as well.

Kel sagged against the stone walls, feeling several jut in her back as she stood there, grimacing but unable to look away from Arctic who battled with the carzo as if it was Tonshi himself. _It is_, she thought inwardly, _rather amazing what Arctic can do…_ She watched silently as Arctic dodged a strike and then the horse moved in, powerful legs striking out and slamming into the small head. Dazed, the carzo wheeled and blindly struck to no avail, the horse just moved slightly and struck again and again and again, not content to leave the creature dead, but to make it into the bloodiest corpse as well.

If it wasn't so disturbing, Kel might have laughed. She could even feel the hysterical laughter well up inside her now, struck faintly amused by the site of Arctic pounding the carzo into the ground. Why she was amused? Well, she herself didn't really know, and did not much care either. Helplessly she clutched at the wall and closed her eyes.

Seconds… minutes? ticked by and suddenly Kel was aware of a slightly wet and sticky muzzle gently nuzzling the side of her face. Her hazel eyes opened a crack only to peer into the deep blue of Arctic's eyes, comforted by the presence of the horse.

"You okay Kel?" A ragged sound escaped from Daine's throat, the girl sounded weary and in pain, as she most certainly was. 

Kel just clutched Arctic closer, fatigue enclosing around her as she murmured softly, "Yeah, fine." 

"We can't stop you know. We have to keep moving… and this is where our road splits once again."

Just giving a soft sigh in response, she cuddled the horse and looked towards the somber looking Daine who was already back in her human form, body covered in scratches and bruises. Kel shook herself inwardly, deciding that she felt more tired than she should, and straightened, "Yes… you have to go to Fort Wyrln, right?" 

Daine gave her a worried look, the other girl looking around helplessly before she nodded, "That's right. And you have to get there as well, I'm sure Joren and Raen are waiting for you." She spoke her next words slowly, more to herself than to Kel, "I'm sure that you'll be fine… Of course you'll be fine…"

Before Daine could go on, Kel interrupted her with a wan smile, "Of course. Now go, they're waiting for you."

Casting another concerned look towards Kel, Daine ran a hand through her wild hair, grimacing slightly before she queried, "Why didn't you just use your magic, Kel? What did that bastard do to you?" Her gaze flickered down towards the side, away from the other girl as she continued on, "I didn't ask before because… well… I was certain you had a good reason for not bringing it up." She fell silent.

Kel gave a ragged sigh, her hand involuntarily coming up to grip the single white gem. Try as she may, no spark of energy seemed to rise from her and she shook her head, "Tonshi -the Great Evil- took it away, blocked it… I'm not too sure." She gave the cheeriest smile that she could, though it didn't seem to deter Daine's growing look of concern, "Don't worry. I've lived without magic for most of my life, I can do it again."

Her gaze flickered towards Arctic who was pawing the ground and looking remarkably serious, "Arctic?"

Suddenly the white horse shoved her nose against Kel's shoulder and closed her eyes, a faint glow rising from her and enveloping Kel as well. It hovered around them both, and Kel's hazel eyes widened in surprise before they closed as well.

Energy rode through her body, pure energy. It filled her senses and gave her focus; strength returning little by little until Arctic broke the connection with a tired nicker. Hesitantly Kel raised her hand and laid it upon the horse's soft nose and smiled softly, "Thanks."

"What did she do?" Curiosity shone in Daine's eyes.

Experimentally, Kel looked at her hand and flexed the fingers slightly, still feeling the tingles of pain but finding it lessened from before. She shifted her body weight from side to side slowly, a pensive look on her face before she finally smiled at Daine, "Arctic transferred some of her energy into me… isn't that right, Arctic?" She glanced at the horse that nickered and bobbed her head. Kel chuckled softly and continued on, "My wounds don't feel as bad now either… how strange."

Her eyes flickered around the cavern, a thoughtful look sliding over her face as she spoke to Daine; "We'll split up as soon as you show me the way out of here. This cavern isn't… normal." She paid no attention to Arctic who nickered and moved back towards the room where the horse had been trapped in. "It's bright and airy, no water, it's nothing like a normal set of caves."

"Right, no worries…" Daine suddenly looked towards where Arctic had disappeared, "Where did she go?" 

An idea flickered inside Kel's head, one she voiced, "Why don't you ask her?" Really, idly she wondered why she hadn't thought of the idea before. _Perhaps because it never came up?_ She gave an inward shrug and leaned her head against the rock wall, breathing out slowly. Yes, she was feeling better, but she was nowhere near her full power, especially since Tonshi had managed to cut off the link to her magic.

__

Damn that… that… God! She mentally groused to herself, getting more and more irritated with the current state of affairs though she kept quiet, a blank mask once again appearing on her face. _When I find Tonshi again, I'm going to rip out his innards and feed them to the pigs. I'll have Raen tear out his limbs one by one…_ Getting more and more into the mental image, a faint smirk crept up her face.

"Umm… Kel?" Daine's voice broke through the other girl's slightly maniacal thoughts.

__

-and… Kel blinked and looked towards the Wild Mage again, "Yes, Daine?"

A sly smile spread across the other girl's features, a teasing look lighting in her eyes, "You had a rather frightening expression just a while ago. Perhaps you're picking more up on Joren's habits than you thought you were?" She broke into giggles at Kel's surprised face, feeling a slight weight lift off of her shoulders when Kel joined in a couple of seconds later. The laughter was faint, and strained, but it was there never the less.

~

"How is that man… Ryan is it? doing, cat?" Joren's gaze flickered downwards towards the reclining hizar, expression pensive as his gaze surveyed the fort. A grimace appeared as another wave of injured soldiers was brought in, protected by several others mounted on horses.

Raen got up and stretched lithely, muscles rippling under his slightly mussed coat, _Rather well for a human, as to be expected since he was coached by one such as I_ The hizar almost seemed to preen under his self congratulations, _He'd make a fine leader for a small group. Not for a large one though, he'll be better leading a group where he knows everyone and their strengths and weaknesses_

Joren gave a slow nod, thoughtfully looking over the wall of the fort towards where the enemy was camping for the moment, probably gearing up for another attack. He spoke in a slightly absentminded tone, "Well, if he survives then I'll make sure that someone feels fit to promote him." A spasm of pain flickered through Joren, one that made him reel slightly and gasp out.

__

Boy? Worry was apparent in the hizar's mind voice, Raen's head moving towards him, almost unconsciously. 

Shaking his head, he waved off Raen's advances, murmuring lowly, "It's the strain from the bond, you know that as well as I do. Nothing can fix it until Kel gets back here… if she gets back that is." Joren steadied himself against the stone wall then, shaking his head as if that would clear any lingering pain. "It's not so bad," he muttered, "It just appears out of nowhere though and hits me. I'm fine."

"Do you have such little faith in Auntie?" A soft, melodious voice was heard, making Joren and Raen whirl around in slightly surprise. Arylanth walked towards them fluidly, her clothes now cut in a more practical manner, made for warfare and times of hardship. She had a hard expression set upon her features as she focused her sharp gaze upon the man and the hizar.

"Truthfully?" Joren drawled out softly, refusing to be optimistic when it was clearly against his nature, "I don't know if the operative the king sent would be enough to get her out of where ever she is currently. I do not hold much stock in believing in miracles." He spat out the last sentence, annoyed at himself and the elf queen across from him.

Arylanth frowned, her gaze moving from the duo towards the area beyond the fort's walls, expression going thoughtful as she eyed the curling of the smoke that signaled the enemy's position. So many enemies… she wondered idly if they would survive. _But we have to, for the good of this world and mine…_ she reminded herself.

Turning her attention back to Joren, she spoke quietly, yet forcefully, "I do though. So please, desist in spreading those kinds of opinions around, I will not condone you lowering the men's morale." Her lips thinned at the answering silence but she went on speaking, "When do you think that they'll attack next? They seem to be waiting for something… or wearing us down, I don't know which."

"It's bad if they were just waiting for something, then that implies that they aren't trying hard," Joren said, a vaguely troubled expression on his face, "Maybe both… What does Raoul say? Or Numair, though the mage wouldn't be the greatest tactician."

__

They aren't certain, but my opinion is that it's probably both. Have any of you felt the presence of the Great Evil? Apparently Raen had no qualms with saying 'Great Evil' for the God's name, _They are probably waiting for him then… That means another has command right now…_ The tone of his mind-voice darkened, _Probably Takashi… that bastard_ A soft growl escaped his maw as Raen's tail lashed in agitation.

"Shh…" Arylanth tried to comfort the hizar, "It's no good to get so riled up over Takeshi. You'll meet in the battle field, I'm sure of it." Her expression clouded up as she spoke in a slightly stiff voice, "The psy elves have foreseen it." 

Excitement flared in the dark eyes of Raen, _Truthfully? Do they see the outcome of the battle as well?_

A slight hesitation, but she shook her head, "No, I'm sorry, Raen. All I can say is that we give you the best of luck in the approaching encounter." 

Suddenly the sound of running feet sounded, and all three of them looked towards the running hizar, the one called Yari. She skidded to a stop in front of them, mind-voiced loud with urgency, _Come! They are attacking! A full attack this time, we think that the Great Evil has arrived!_

Joren cursed and raced off to find Raoul, Raen rapidly following at his heels.

~

Kel bent lowly over Arctic's back, silently urging the horse into greater speeds as they crossed the terrain. She had her glaive and several other assorted weapons that were hers, found in the same cave that Arctic had resided in, the Kalyrath horse being the one to inform her. Well, inform her by shoving her in that direction, it all worked out.

She and Daine had split in front of the opening of the cavern, and the Wild Mage had informed her of the direction in which she had to go. To her surprise, it wasn't that far off from her current position, and she'd probably reach the Fort soon enough, a day or two at the most. Hopefully that was.

"Up for a tiring ride, Arctic?" she breathed out softly into the horse's ear, watching it flick back towards her.

Arctic gave a snort, one Kel thought of as an agreement, and the horse's stride lengthened slightly, going as fast as she dared without compromising her endurance greatly. 

__

This is why everyone should have a horse that thinks, Kel thought to herself absentmindedly, feeling the wind whip past her as she and Arctic raced along at a quick speed, _They can determine how fast you can go themselves without you having to guess for them._

~

Joren hacked through the enemy soldiers and creatures with a sort of maniacal glee, watching blood spray around him. He urged Demon Wind to greater fury, the ebony horse lashing out at anything near them, hooves deadly to anyone who came close. A great team, they seemed to mow down enemies, be it from a burst of ice, a slash from a sword, or the hooves and teeth from Demon Wind. 

Wrenching himself to one side, his hand clasped around the gem that lay at the hollow of his throat, focusing on a nearby jerogil as a feral smile appeared on his lips. Suddenly the air seemed frigid and great ice spears ripped up through the ground to skewer the creature from the belly upwards. 

Ignoring the creature after the task was done, Joren moved on, Demon seeming to read his mind as the Kalyrath horse ripped through the enemies to appear at Raen's side.

The hizar was like a demon in battle, covered in blood and scratches. He darted in and out around the enemies, moving too fast for them to get a fix on him, ripping so quickly and at such precise places that most of who he hit fell or died. 

__

What is it, boy? Raen's mind voice was distracted as he wove in and around the enemy soldiers, ignoring the creatures since they took longer for him to kill, and thus more risk for him if he slowed down to fight. Instead, he left those up to Joren. He leaped and slashed at the unprotected throat of a soldier, getting a light spraying of blood, he sprang away and moved on to the next one, never halting in his movements.

Joren was like him, sword singing with the blood and deaths of his enemies, Demon Wind and he moving almost as one as they struck and killed a charging carzo. Momentarily pausing to catch his breath, Joren yelled out, "They seem to be retreating!" His foot lashed out to kick a carzo in the head, before Demon whirled around and lashed out with his forelegs, connecting solidly. A sickening series of cracks were heard as the carzo fell down onto the ground, dead.

Giving chase, Raen sped after a few of the remaining enemy soldiers, speaking to Joren even as he disemboweled them, or hamstrung their horses, _Yes, we should leave to the Fort now, the rest of our soldiers can deal with the remaining enemy_ Following his own advice, Raen whirled around and began running swiftly back to the fort, refusing to show that he was hurt.

Kicking Demon lightly, Joren found that he didn't need to have done that since the horse had already started to follow the hizar. A faint smile curved his lips as he murmured, "Without consulting me?"

__

The hizar was correct, Chosen

Shrugging slightly, Joren couldn't help but chuckle, "Fine, but don't tell the cat that I agreed. Stupid creature doesn't need a bigger ego."

__

We wouldn't want it to get as big as yours now, do we?

Impulsively, Joren flicked one of Demon's ears and scowled.

__

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IceWind: Am a bad, bad girl. *hangs head*

Raen: *thwaps her with his tail*

IceWind: *squeals and twitches* Yes, yes, I know I haven't updated in _months_. ^^; Don't worry, there's probably going to only be one more chapter and an epilogue after that. O.o Wow! I would make it exactly 30 chapters not counting epilogue… whee? 

Kaori: *throws a bucket of water at her*

IceWind: *wails* I take so much abuse! ^^; Anyway, I'm rather sure that the next chapter won't take me… *whispers* four months *coughs* 

~

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Facts:

__

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

__

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

__

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All 

hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

__

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

__

Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

__

Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

__

Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

__

Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

__

Carzo: Vicious, mainly amphibious creatures that lived in the world of Medea before being brought to Tortall by the Great Evil -or Tonshi-. They are of a mottled green and blue color, with six yellow eyes. They stand at around a tigers' height at the shoulder with two tentacles on the side of their small and slightly blunt head. Carzo have long webbed feet -strangely able to run quickly still on land- and gill slits on the side of their body. It has a long, thin tail, sharp, which could cut through a multitude of things, the least of which is flesh. They have long, jagged, serrated teeth, made for tearing and ripping. They usually live in pods of about five, and they move so quickly together that it is hard to site one and focus upon it because it then drops back and blends back into the pod. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get some snickers. *hands person some snickers*


	30. Did You Miss Me?

Aether Winds  
Chapter thirty- Did You Miss Me?  
By- IceWind

A/N:   
This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine. This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

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Archer8:Right, this should be long enough x.x

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Princess Sanidaylene: *shakes head* Nope, Joren wouldn't die if Kel did if the bond wasn't completed. And it's not _always_ video games *sweatdrops* Sooner or later, all good things come to an end, and if Aether doesn't end soon, I think I'd scream. .__.

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Avision: I know everyone is out of character --; I just hope I never said that they were _in _character. Because I would be lying.

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Elfie: *blinks slowly* Queen of plots, eh? Strange, but I'm not one to pass up a compliment ^^ Hopefully my grammar gets better in the later chapters, if it doesn't, then I wonder what the hell I've been doing all of this time.

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Rubber Duck: *wry grin* _Slightly_ ooc? I think you mean _completely and utterly ooc_. ^^; But whatever you know? Can't exactly fix it at this rate --; Unless I revamp everything, I do think that I would go insane if I had to do that. I mean, going over all of my old chapters and seeing the… sheer terror of them… heh. Am quite aware that my writing is bad . . Though it does get a bit better in the later chapters. Hopefully. 

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Daine!" came Numair's glad cry, causing everyone else to look up from their battle plans to see a sleek hawk hop through the window and onto the tall man's hastily protected arm. At his dark glare, they all turned away, giving time for the Wild Mage to change back into her original form.

At her delicate cough, the small group consisting of Joren, Rauol, Alanna, Raen, and Neal -Cleon had been hurt and was in the infirmary- looked back, seeing the slim girl clothed in Numair's cloak, her bare feet poking out from the swathes of cloth. She gave them all a tired smile and a half-wave, accepting a cup of warm tea gratefully from Alanna. 

"Well?" Joren demanded, his ice-blue eyes ignoring the way the Wild Mage seemed to just wilt against Numair's frame, obviously tired. Really, like he cared, there were more important things at stake than one person's fatigue. 

Daine just smiled gently at him, patting Numair's arm; "I got her out. Last time I saw her, she was on Arctic and riding like the wind to get here."

__

I wish you could have guided her The graceful hizar wound his way around until he was in front of Joren, his tail swishing left and right in slight agitation, _Who knows what could meet her out there. It isn't safe._

Joren waved a hand, "Yes, yes, what's done is done." He paused, searching for a way to word his next question, only to have Neal beat him to it.

"How is she?"

__

Blasted… I was going to ask, he thought irritably to himself, but then shrugged off the feeling. A question was a question and besides, he had been struggling with how to word it. His eyes were trained firmly on Daine, waiting impatiently for her answer, his long fingers drumming on his pants.

She hesitated for a moment, as if trying to figure out what to say, causing Joren to narrow his eyes and spit out, "Well?"

Daine gave them all a troubled look, before giving a slow answer, "She was in a cavern, strange thing that, but that's not the point." She paused, still gathering her thoughts; "Kel was… tortured. Not a lot, rather light for torture really," she ignored Raen's growl, "Weak security, so I got her out quickly enough. We dispatched one of those… carzo beasts and bolted."

She then reached up to tug on a lock of hair, giving Numair a worried look, "But apparently the Great Evil locked away her powers, her magic."

Silence descended over the room, Daine looking down at the cloak she was wearing and toying with the hem. Joren suddenly started to spurt out series of curses, while Neal just sighed and leaned his head against a wall. Raoul frowned deeply, and Raen continued to growl.

Then Alanna banged her fist against the table, amethyst eyes unamused, "She'll be fine. I know that girl; I've been watching her. _She'll be fine_." The short knight looked down at the maps of the surrounding area, a faint frown on her face, "Well then, we can't rely on Kel's powers anymore. New plan…"

"That's _it?_" Neal yelped, his eyes almost betrayed as he stared at his former knight-master, "What about Kel?"

"…That's not going to help us in the coming battle," it was Joren this time, who answered, cold eyes staring at the other man, "We need to focus on more important things than worrying over Kel." _Gods damn it. But it's true and we all should know that by now. _He glared at Neal for even bringing the subject up.

The other man gave something akin to Raen's growl and seemed about to swing a fist at him, snapping, "You don't really care for her, you bastard! Kel's my best friend and I want to know more than just some piddling information that she's _alive_." Then Alanna's sharp words cut through the air.

"He's right, Neal, shut up and sit down." The small knight pounded the table again; "We're worried about her, but that's not going to help! You can find out more information from Daine later, _if she's up to it_." Eyes flicked over to the Wild Mage who gave a nod. "Now we need to know about what to do with the enemy forces, what our plans for tomorrow will bring. The final battle is coming up, folks. Everything has been culminating to this final event."

__

We need strategies To Neal's surprise, the hizar hadn't spoken up a word about Kel after his first few ones, the cat-like creature seemingly deep in thought, _They outnumber our forces by almost two to one. Can we not gain more? _He looked towards Raoul who spoke up.

"It was such a short amount of time… Arylanth put as many people as she could over here, and yet we're still lacking the men. And we have to tackle such creatures as… those carzos and whatever. I've been informing the men about them as new information comes in and the elves teach us, but many of them are just going on that knowledge, even with the battle today." The man sighed and rubbed his temple, staring at the map.

"They'll attack tomorrow, if not tonight as well," Joren spoke up, tracing several points on the parchment, "We need to build up defense here and here, heavy damage was sustain here…" he pointed at a wall of the fort, "And we need to find a way to break through the enemy so that the supplies for our troops can be obtained easier."

__

Where is the elfin queen anyway? Vague disdain still colored Raen's thoughts when thinking about elves, but the hizar and the other hizars had slowly warmed up to the race. There had even been some talks about a treaty between the hizar and the elves… a monumental event considering that the two races didn't like each other very much.

Neal answered, "She's tending to her own people. Nice queen, though I think it's still strange that Kel's her aunt."

Alanna gave a nonchalant shrug, "Everything in the past few weeks have been strange. Cope with it." Her gaze flickered around the room, "Now… back to the topic at hand… I want archers here and here…"

~

Night had fallen swiftly.

__

I wonder how everyone is… Kel mused silently; lying on hastily sprawled cloak, her hazel eyes staring up at the ebony sky before her, pin pricks of light littering the air as if sprinkled there by hand. By some sort of deity anyway. _I know that Joren is alive, I'd known it if he died, Raen as well for that matter. But… what about Cleon? Neal? Owen? The rest of them that I have no way of knowing if they are dead or not?_

She passed a hand over her eyes, feeling something soft nudge her. Kel flicked a glance to the ghostly looking Arctic Wind, the Kalyrath horse framed by the faint rays of the moonlight. 

"Get some rest, Arctic," she called out softly, seeing the horse look at her with intelligent sky blue eyes, "We'll leave early, before dawn. I want to get back as soon as possible, and I'm sure that you do as well." A faint nicker was her answer, and Kel drew the cloak tighter around herself, ignoring the small sticks that pressed into her back, ones she had missed when she had cleared the area for camp. 

Well, a hastily and roughly made camp anyway. She had been more concerned about her current situation than to make a campfire or to really clear off the ground. It wasn't as if she was planning to sleep for a long time anyway, just several hours… Just enough to briefly boost her flagging strength. Arctic had given her energy, but it wasn't as if it were a lot. The horse needed it more for the journey to Fort Wyrln and the upcoming battles Kel was sure that they'd get in.

They were so close though, Kel judging by the total distance they had ridden so far and the estimated distance that Daine had given them, that it would take about half a day to reach the fort. If they were lucky and didn't run into anything overly nasty while they were out anyway.

"I'll be fine…" technically she wasn't talking to herself because Arctic was here and currently looking at her with interest in those intelligent eyes, "I mean… Sure, I've gotten used to the magic, but… I've fought for _years_ without it, right?" She threw her hand off her head, clenching it to her side, "It would have been nice having it, but I'm not some weak girl like Joren used to tease me about."

Kel felt Arctic step over to her, the white horse dropping down to the ground, nestling herself around the girl. She bobbed her head towards Kel, and let the girl bury her hands into her silken mane, giving a soft nicker in comfort.

"In fact, I'll take my non-magical self and completely skewer Tonshi, that sounds nice, doesn't it, Arctic?" 

The horse blinked one sleepy blue eye at Kel.

"I can kill a god… no problem…" Kel was aware she was rambling and sighed, resting her cheek against Arctic's warm neck. "No problem at all…" she trailed off, closing her eyes in fatigue.

~

The sun was high over their heads, but at last Kel could see the fort. She was sore, she was tired, and she was _still_ flecked with blood after a brief skirmish with several enemy soldiers. Now she was injured as well, a messy cut across her backside when one of them sneaked behind her and slashed at her with his sword. Of course she repaid him with a powerful blow to the stomach with her glaive, but that didn't take away the fact that her back _hurt_.

And she couldn't bind it well considering that it was on her back and she in just a bit of a rush to actually get to the fort. Idly she wondered where the enemy camped before Daine's quick words floated through her mind again. _Hmm, they're camping south west of the fort. I'm arriving from the east… so I shouldn't meet up with many. Hopefully no more after that brief skirmish._ Kel flexed her shoulder slightly and winced, reaching over to pat Arctic's sweat soaked neck who whickered tiredly in reply.

"Just a little more, girl," said Kel, whispering into the velvet ears, "Then I'll give you a barrel full of oats and let you nip at Raen whenever you want." She gave a faint smile at the memory of the hizar, and consequently Joren, _I actually miss him. Gods help me._

The powerful stone walls rose before her rapidly as she streaked down the countryside. She was waylaid more than a few times by the Tortallan soldiers, but was let through soon enough. Apparently they knew that she was coming. It was nice not having to go through hours of security checks, as she would have considering she didn't have any credentials on her at the moment.

No, those were all stolen by Tonshi, that bastard. 

She let Arctic drop off into a smooth canter, the horse nearing the gates of the fort, ones that were thrown open. Messengers had gotten to there before her, typical really with how tired Arctic was, and had informed the rest that she was coming.

That was nice too.

Neal was there, giving a whoop when he saw her, running up towards her and hugging her as soon as she got off of Arctic. "Damn Kel! Do you know how worried you made me and the rest of us?" 

Kel winced in reply as his arms accidentally brushed a couple of her gashes, but stored the pain away, giving a silent vow to repay Tonshi for this and more next time she saw him. She gave Neal an awkward hug back, peeking over his shoulder to look at the rest of the people there.

Cleon grinned at her and gave her a wave, his arm bound in bandages, apparently he had gotten hurt in a battle. Kel just thanked the gods that he wasn't dead. Owen was beaming, as usual, calling out loud greetings, which she returned as heartily as she could. Then…

Her breathing stopped.

Alanna the Lioness stood there, leaning casually against a wall, watching with her famous purple eyes. Next to her stood Raen, the hizar suddenly running towards her and thrusting his slender head into her hands.

__

Your… hero? Kel knew that the hizar was keeping his thoughts private, _Are you not going to greet her?_

She just gave a sheepish smile, feeling Neal pull away from her. 

"Hey, go say hello," Neal murmured softly, eyes glittering with mischief, "You'd think that our Yamani 'Stone' wouldn't seem so nervous."

Kel just rolled her eyes and stepped towards the Lioness, wishing that she wasn't so mussed, sweaty, or smelly, but hell, you can't come out of being a prisoner smelling like lavender. Not usually anyway. She couldn't help but straighten herself though, ignoring the twinges of pain, and hoped that her voice didn't seem squeaky.

"Ah, hello…" _I sound like a complete idiot. _

Then Alanna straightened as well, and Kel gaped at her.

The Lioness laughed, "What? Expecting someone taller, right?" Her purple eyes glittered mischievously as the woman cocked a brow at Kel.

Kel gave a sheepish grin, "I didn't expect the Lioness to be so… short," she stifled her laughter as Alanna mocked glared at her. Then the woman moved towards her with the grace of a cat, eyes just as curious, as she looked over the girl she had been keeping tabs on.

"Well," the knight said in a dry voice, "I'm just happy that knights aren't restricted by height." A sharp glance at Kel's… lack of clothing, and Alanna frowned, "But enough dallying, get yourself cleaned up and we'll talk strategy, Raoul tells me that you're somewhat good at it." The woman smiled and stepped away.

__

Strategy with the Lioness, Kel wondered, hazel eyes bright, "Of course."

"Auntie!" Something suspiciously near a squeal came from one of the turrets and a lithe figure came down the stone steps at a dead run. 

"Arylanth…?" was all Kel was able to get out before the elfin woman swept her into a hug reminiscent of being crushed by a bear. She was sure that she squeaked a few times and that her ribs were going to break at any moment. Not surprising, the elf was stronger than she had suspected.

The woman gave quick steps backwards when she heard Kel's pained voice and yelped out, "Oh no, I'm so sorry, Auntie! Are you okay? Shall I get a healer? No! I'll get two! Maybe three. But you aren't _that_ hurt, right?"

Kel gave the woman a mock glare, "You, my… _dear_ niece, are babbling."

Consequently, Arylanth shut her mouth and stopped talking, taking several moments to calm herself down.

Then the elf flashed a smile as bright as the sun; "I'm so glad that you're fine… well, as fine as you can be after that ordeal."

__

Then wouldn't you agree that it would be best for my Mistress to see a healer as you previously expected? Though one would be enough Raen's mind voice was rather dry as the hizar settled onto his haunches, though his intelligent blue eyes were amused. 

"Ah, yes, of course. I'll summon our best…"

"No special treatment, please," Kel broke in, her voice stern, "I know that you're related to me, Arylanth, but… Others were hurt far worse than me, there was a battle recently, wasn't there?" 

The woman seemed startled, "Why yes, but how did you know?"

Kel smiled and waved a hand in Cleon's direction, more specific: his bandages. "That and the fact that more of the men were hurt, I couldn't help but notice." She gave a slight stretch, and winced as her tightened muscles slowly loosened, "And a bath wouldn't hurt."

~

Kel gave a soft sigh, sinking into the warm bath and slurring her words towards Raen who was currently lying down on the floor and looking bored, "Wonderful things, baths."

__

I'm sure that they are. He flicked his tail and watched it as it moved back and forth.

"Don't tell me that you're like most cats and detests baths," Kel almost sat up, except she decided that it was too much trouble and she was _quite_ comfortable where she was, and sank down even deeper, "Are you?"

__

I don't see the charms of water as much as you do Raen replied, giving a stoic look at a wall, apparently a bit embarrassed about the subject, _It's wet and it takes forever for my fur to dry. Hardly a thing that I enjoy waiting to happen. Do you _know_ how much I'm weighed down by the water? I can jump only two-thirds as high when wet as when I'm dry. I don't see the purpose in such things._

Kel laughed, not able to resist splashing a bit of water in Raen's direction… which the hizar froze and let clatter to the floor. 

"But it feels nice," she sighed again and started to scrub herself, giving an appreciative look towards several scars where her cuts had once been. _Those healers do a neat work when their queen is breathing down their necks,_ Kel grinned.

__

It'd also amplify my smell to alert even more people to my presence. Animals have this certain smell to them after getting into water that isn't pleasant.

Kel blinked at him, "But that's just getting wet. I mean _really_ cleaning. Besides, I'm not going to live with a smelly hizar all the time. I expect you to take a bath once in a while."

Raen snuffed loudly and turned his head away towards the door.

"Don't you think of stepping a foot out of this bathing chamber."

He gave a mental sigh and settled down once more. _Of course, how can I even think about doing so. I don't remember the boy getting all that concerned over my personal behavior_

Kel stiffened as she dropped her soap. Raen floated it back towards her and she accepted it with a quiet, "Thank you."

__

What's wrong?

"Nothing!" she gave a hasty reply, now it was her turn to look at a wall and pretend that the other occupant wasn't there with her. _Look, that stone is jutting out a bit, though the rest are too, kind of. Sure are bumpy, I wonder if anyone would even bother smoothing them down… Oh wow, that ice Raen made sure is melting quickly, it's probably because of the heat in the room, even if it's made out of stone... _

She shook her head, _don't think about stone._

Is this about that boy? Raen asked tiredly, giving Kel a concerned look.

"No!" She dunked her head down into the water, quite forgetting that that wouldn't be enough to stop the hizar's questions, especially considering that he was telepathic.

__

It is.

Unlike him, Kel didn't have the luxury of being able to talk like he did considering what Tonshi did to her. She gave a silent curse and broke through the water's surface, taking a couple of deep breaths before grinding out, "No it isn't!"

The hizar gave her a smug look; _You are upset that he hasn't seen you yet_

Kel turned away instead of answer him, scrubbing more furiously than before. 

After several moments of silence, she spoke, "If he doesn't want to see me, then that's fine. It isn't as if he _loves_ me or anything like that. This soul bond thing just happened, not because he wanted it to." Her voice lowered, "That prick."

__

He was held up

Kel twisted and gave Raen a hard stare, "I thought you didn't like him. So why are you telling me this when I don't want to hear it?"

__

We came to an understanding. Besides, I do not like to see you pretending that something isn't happening. I saw how your eyes darted around the area, even after seeing the Lioness for the first time. Though really, the boy_? I still think that you can do better_

"It wasn't as if I had a choice."

__

We always have a choice. It is up to whether you acknowledge your choice or not

She gave a loud sigh, "You know very well that neither him nor I chose to have this soul bond or whatever. So how can this be a choice?"

Raen gave Kel a patronizing look, _Just because it happened doesn't mean that it had been _destined_ to happen. Your choices before that time… your thoughts and feelings… all of that gave rise to new choices and decisions. And sometimes those decisions are made without your prior knowledge that your choices may lead to that decision, understand?_

Never let it be said that Keladry of Mindelan was slow, she scowled, "So it could have all been avoided? I don't understand, didn't we have that soul bond since we were born?"

__

It does mean that it has to awaken. In reality, there are many soul bonds in existence. What are rare are the people in the soul bonds realizing their feelings for each other, or even meeting each other, and then having the soul bond to awaken. You could have fallen in love with another before this, and that would have changed that part of your relationship with the boy. Raen looked upwards towards the ceiling, his mind voice thoughtful, _Hizars do not believe in destiny. That is for those who feel the need to feel secure about the future. We know enough to know that it is us who decide our fate, not some nebulous goddess named Fate._

"So we decide our own future?" For some reason, Kel's voice seemed uncertain.

__

Of course

"Joren wasn't… forced into this bond?"

Raen suddenly understood and gave her a sympathetic look, _Not unless you strapped him down and took advantage of him, Mistress_

Relief was etched on Kel's face, before it changed into displeasure, "So where is he again?"

__

With Raoul and the rest of the tacticians, going over the plans. Your former knight master ordered him to do so, Raoul is, after all, the commanding officer in the Fort The slight disdain in Raen's thoughts showed what he thought of the situations, _He would have ceded such control to Arylanth, but the elfin queen was against such things and protested that his men, the humans, wouldn't take so such a suggestion_

"She's right," Kel's voice was soft.

__

Humans, pah

She grinned at the hizar, for some reasoning feeling a lot better, "You do forget that I am human? Or at least half anyway, and the other half is your hated enemy?"

__

As if I can hate you, Mistress Raen's voice was haughty, tinged with slight carelessness, _Besides, I am of the opinion that half of both makes a better breed than one or the other_

Kel laughed.

~

Clean and feeling refreshed, Kel looked at the door Raen had led her too (where everyone else was still making plans) and took several deep breaths, trying to calm down her nerves for some reason that kept eluding her grasp. She saw them all before, right? No need to be nervous. Well, almost all of them anyway. 

__

Mistress? Raen tilted his head to the side, dark eyes curious, already starting to nudge the door open.

"Don't worry about it, Raen," she said and swung the door open, brushing back a still damp piece of hair. Her eyes flicked around the crowded room, and she banished any embarrassed feelings she got when she noticed that everyone had paused to look at her, resolved to not blush.

Neal gave her an easy grin, "Better now, Kel?"

She gave him a wry one back, "Of course. Anything is better than staying chained to a wall, even looking at your ugly face."

He gave a mock gasp and held his hands over his heart, "I'm wounded, Kel, really!"

"Then why don't you just drop dead?" A smooth voice cut in, refined and very familiar. Joren looked up from the parchment he had been staring at, curling his lip in disdain at Neal before looking at Kel.

She almost felt naked by the way his gaze raked over her in a purely clinical manner.

"No hello?" Her voice was rather dry and she pulled up a chair and sat down gingerly, still mindful of the several large bruises on her body. She hadn't wanted to tire the healers by making them heal such inconsequential things; besides, she had to get used to the pain. A knight didn't always have healers at his or her beck and call, quite the opposite in fact.

Joren shrugged, "I knew you were alive, that's enough, isn't it?"

"Bastard," Clean hissed, eyes narrowing at Joren's form, "Can't you greet her at least? Ask how she were feeling? It wouldn't kill you."

Ice blue eyes narrowed back and Joren sneered, "As I would listen to you."

__

Great, just what I don't need. Joren and Cleon bickering just as soon as I get back. I guess I should be thankful that Neal hasn't jumped in as well.

"Damn you! Just listen to him!"

__

Never mind.

Kel raised her hands and massaged her temples, waving off the worried look that Raoul gave her. 

Raen snarled and a sudden silence fell over the room, then the hizar walked to Kel's chair and curled up around it, his mental voice low, _Stupid humans. My Mistress does not need more stress than necessary_

"I thought you were all right." 

Joren's eyes were almost accusing and she gave him a steady look back, her voice calm, "I am. There's nothing to be worried about."

Raen's voice flickered quietly in Kel's mind, a private conversation between the two of them, _He really was worried, Mistress, more than I thought he would be. He even asked your king to go out to find you, but your king didn't allow either of us to_

She gave him a slight smile, whispering, "It's okay, Raen, I understand."

Her blond counterpart dropped onto a chair next to her, darting her a quick look before glancing away. 

__

…What's wrong with him?

But she looked away, asking the quiet room, "So what's the situation? Any problems?" Business, she can't go concentrating on her own problems, with her lack of magic, her recent imprisonment. More things were at stake than just she was; she wasn't selfish enough to think that she was the only one that mattered. Because even if she died, the world would keep on revolving, just like it has always been.

A bit more silence before Owen broke it with a huff, his words still light and easy after all of these years, "We're short of men, the enemy outnumbers us, even with the elves help. It's a bit daunting to see a number twice the size of your own facing you in a battle field, though we've been trying to keep the morale of the men up."

"It doesn't help that some of the men seem to think that we can't win this war without outside, hell, unhuman, help," Cleon chimed in and then cast an apologetic look towards Arylanth, "Not that your help isn't very much appreciated, Queen Arylanth."

She sighed and ran a hand through her own hair, her voice weary now that the earlier excitement of Kel coming back had died down, "It's understandable. Even some of the elves don't understand why we're helping humans, in another world none the less. But myself and the rest of my officers have been explaining to them that we need to band together to even dent the Great Evil's forces."

"Tonshi," came Kel's soft voice.

The elfin queen turned towards her, blinking her expressive hazel eyes, "What?"

"Don't call him Great Evil, he told me that his name was Tonshi."

Arylanth seemed to falter, "You… met him?"

"You didn't knife him when you had the chance?" Joren muttered, still partially looking away from her.

"It wasn't under… pleasant means, Joren, I assure you," Kel said, her voice annoyed. Then she looked at the only elf in the room and nodded, "Yes, very self-assured of himself, isn't he?"

The queen's reply was faint, "Well, he is a god."

Alanna then clapped her hands, loudly, "Well then people, that brings up the question. Even if we do eradicate his forces, how are we supposed to get rid of this god? Kill him? Bind him like you elves did before?" Her purple eyes were probing as she looked at Arylanth, "Though you should have killed him when you had the chance."

"We couldn't!" Immediate and a touch defensive, the elf frowned, "He's a god, we don't have the powers… it took the life of our best magic user to even bind him… and that wasn't permanent, as you see." She sighed, "He wrought such terrible things and he enjoys doing it. Even when trapped, we couldn't just take a dagger and slit his throat." 

"I don't understand why you have such gods," Alanna snapped, shaking her head, "And why drag our country into it?"

Arylanth stiffened, her voice high and stilted, "Because! He would have just moved onto this world even without our interference! Don't you understand? He already had agents on this world working for him and subverting order for him! Do you think we wanted to involve _humans_ into elfin matters?"

The Lioness bristled in reply, but Kel spoke before she could, "But you need us, right, Arylanth?"

The queen visibly sagged in her chair, giving them a despondent look; "We also need a miracle. I had thought that our combined forces would be enough to stop him… or at least halt him for a little while, but even those hopes seem to be rapidly disappearing. Like sand running through my fingers." She gave Kel a guilty look, "I had also hoped that you would be able to help with your powers, Auntie, but with them locked like this…" she spread her hands out, at a loss.

Kel drew back a bit; not able to help but feel a bit stung, _so you only liked me because I had powers, Arylanth? How…_ She bit her bottom lip but stayed silent.

"No!" Apparently the elf had seen the look on her face and was hastened to make things better, "I… I really did want to meet you, Auntie! Your powers, they were taken into consideration, yes, but I'm not lying when I say that I truly like you!"

She gave a faint smile, tinged with sadness, but she nodded, "It's fine, Arylanth, I would have thought the same if our positions were reversed." She watched as the queen seemed to relax. _Not exactly the same though. I'm not one for relying on powers after all._ But Kel was forced to admit that if the situation warranted, then she would have thought the same as the elves.

"Radock was the traitor," she said, eyes suddenly widening a bit as she remembered, "You know, Scanra's King's advisor?"

Joren sneered, "Knew there was something wrong with that bastard."

"You found out while you were… imprisoned, Kel?" Raoul's eyes probed hers, asking silently. 

"He came in while I was there," Kel's voice was soft, evasive. Joren frowned at her, but she didn't look at him, keeping her eyes carefully on the maps in front of her. 

"I see," Arylanth's voice was heavy and touched with melancholy. 

Neal broke in, as if to clear up the heaviness in the air, "You know, everything seems a bit quieter today. Yesterday we had that rather lengthy battle, and we all thought that there would be more fighting today… I wonder why the enemy is holding off."

"It's probably to make us unsettled," Joren replied coolly, "It's called tactics, not that you would know anything about it." Then both boys proceeded to glare at each other.

Kel chuckled softly, breaking through the tension in the room as several pairs of eyes landed on her, she grinned and waited a few more moments for her laughter to die down. She tried to explain, "For all that things are going rather badly, I can't help but feel relieved that things haven't gotten so bad as for both Joren and Neal to get along with each other."

Owen snickered, nodding his head in agreement.

The blond boy just looked away, causing Kel no small amounts of annoyance because he really seemed as if he was avoiding her. He looked at Raen who was watching the proceedings without imputing a word, for once.

"Well? You heard from Ryan, haven't you, cat? What's the word on the troops by him?"

__

Ryan? Kel mouthed at the hizar, and Raen filled her in on the information quickly before replying to Joren's question.

__

What you probably already know. The men have seen the sheer number of the enemy and are understandably a bit skittish. Ryan says that they're calmer than he thought they would be, so that's a good thing. The hizars are always ready to fight, we have no qualms on facing greater number of opponents as long as our revenge against Takashi and what he has done to us is complete

It was at some words like that, which reminded Kel that not all of their concerns were just Tonshi or his troops, that the hizars were in this war specifically against Takashi, and on a smaller scale, against Medea's destructive god.It didn't mean that Takashi was more worrisome than Tonshi, but to them, it was just that more important to rend Takashi to pieces.

Kel laid a soft hand onto Raen's head and stroked his ears. The hizar looked up at her with slight surprise before leaning into her touch and giving something quite akin to a purr. It was… cute, to say the least. 

"Well," Alanna gave a cough before speaking again; "It's the best we can ask for from the troops. I vote to call this meeting adjourned, I'm sure I'm not the only one tired," she flicked a quick look at Kel before moving her gaze away. 

"Here, here," Neal said tiredly, glancing out the window, "Damned, so late already."

Dryly, Raoul spoke, "Time flies when planning for war."

~

Kel fell onto the bed in the room that Raen had led her too, stretching luxuriously on the cotton sheets and giving a loud yawn. _Goddess this is nice…_ She buried her head into one of the pillows, ignoring the slight tickle of a feather that peeked out of it. She felt as if she could just sink into the bed and disappear, just sleep all of her troubles and all of her worries away.

Too bad she couldn't do that.

The door creaked open, and she rolled to her side and cracked open an eye to look at the silent Joren by the door. Kel blinked at him a bit, still feeling wonderfully languid, though awareness was prickling into her.

"What are you doing here?" The pillow muffles her words, but not by a lot, so Joren should be able to understand her.

He seemed to stiffen, his voice still ice cold, pity.

"You're in my room."

For some reason Kel didn't feel as if this was real just yet. She felt happy and warm and strangely content in this room with Raen looking at her from the side and Joren looking at her from above. Her eyes blinked again, as if they could send a message though it was really quite meaningless, "Oh?" she wondered, then gave a calm look towards Raen before returning her gaze back to Joren, "Strange, Raen led me here."

The hizar looked at her and then at Joren before getting to his paws and padding out the door, shutting it behind himself with delicate touch of magic.

"Why'd Raen leave?" Kel's words were slightly slurred, hazel eyes dreamy as she stared at Joren.

The boy -really a man, but whatever- seemed to shrug before moving towards her and peering down at her with something swirling in this lovely blue eyes of him. Certainly wasn't love, though it looked suspiciously like worry to her.

How cute.

She gave him a sleepy smile. 

He hesitantly laid a hand on her hair and stroked it a couple of times, eyes bemused, "You're acting strange," he finally said, his words almost heavy in the silence of the room.

"Am I?" Kel considered propping herself up on one elbow, but decided not to, thinking that it was too much trouble and it was nice enough where she was, deep into the blankets and pillows, Joren's hand stroking her hair.

His voice was dry, "Yes, you're not nearly as playful when you're fully awake." His hand dropped and he shucked off his tunic before climbing into the bed next to her.

"You weren't very nice to me when I first came here," she muttered, but obligingly scooted over for him when he prodded her with a finger. She felt his smirk rather than saw it and sighed, eyes closing once again, "Want me to change?" She would, at least, she would _try_. Even if she didn't feel like changing at the moment.

Joren fell silent before replying, "No, it doesn't matter."

"Hmmm…" she murmured and turned to pillow her head against his shoulder, "Why were you mad at me again?" She gave a soft yawn, "You'd think that you'd at least show some relief."

He grunted in reply, muttering, "I should have found you, standing around doing nothing but planning was more than a bit annoying."

Kel chuckled, drawing the sheets tighter around herself and Joren, "Does that mean that you missed me?"

A pause before Joren replied.

"Maybe just a bit."

__

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IceWind: *yawns* I was going to actually try to finish this story in this chapter, but apparently I couldn't do it, unless people expect to wait another week or so for me to make this into twenty some odd pages --; Though waiting half a year? Is really rather bad, even for me. Sorry everyone.

And yes, I'm still going to finish this blasted story if it's the last thing I do.

Next chapter _should_ be the last one before the epilogue, but I'm making no promises. Like with the time frame. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, but… you know how bad I am with that *sighs* Though I do want to finish Aether, I know exactly how everything's going to turn out too… well, most of everything anyway. 

~

****

Facts:

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Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also. 

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Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died. 

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Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All 

hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead; the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males. 

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Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

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Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly. 

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Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

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Kalyrath Horses: These are extremely intelligent living beings with high stamina and running speed. These horses all have blue eyes, in varying shades, but it is all blue to symbol their purity. They chose their rider, and only one person is allowed to ride the kalyrath horse that is bonded to you unless you are soul mated to a person. Occasionally, there pops up a human/humanoid that can talk to their kalyrath horse, and the horse can talk to any of its kind up to a certain distance. Kalyrath horses are in-tune with their rider and it's rare for any none elf to bond with one since they usually only dwell in Elfin land. They are adept at fighting with their chosen and can be extremely protective depending upon their nature. It is said that they were a gift from the great mother goddess of the elves and they cannot be subvert by any dark magic for that reason. 

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Aether: The last element, the other nine elements are- fire, water, air, earth, psy, lightening, ice, dark and light. This element is the strongest by far and rare for hizars, extremely rare for elves. It controls all of the elements and its color is always silver for hizars and either a silver or white for elves. White is the most powerful, but none knows why. Aether is not an element known too much about, especially for the elves, all they could discern is that it has something to do with stars… The last elf to have this kind of gem died in a great battle, saving the world of Medea from certain doom. 

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Carzo: Vicious, mainly amphibious creatures that lived in the world of Medea before being brought to Tortall by the Great Evil -or Tonshi-. They are of a mottled green and blue color, with six yellow eyes. They stand at around a tigers' height at the shoulder with two tentacles on the side of their small and slightly blunt head. Carzo have long webbed feet -strangely able to run quickly still on land- and gill slits on the side of their body. It has a long, thin tail, sharp, which could cut through a multitude of things, the least of which is flesh. They have long, jagged, serrated teeth, made for tearing and ripping. They usually live in pods of about five, and they move so quickly together that it is hard to site one and focus upon it because it then drops back and blends back into the pod. 

~

My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get some snickers. *hands person some snickers*


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